Time Changes
by noflowerinmyhair
Summary: Zuko and Katara talk during their mission to find the old leader of the Southern Raiders, and one night sets huge changes in motion for both of them. ATTENTION: I'm looking for a beta to help me re-release this on AO3. If you are interested please refer to Chapter 24.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This story starts in the middle of Southern Raiders. Zuko and Katara have just got back on Appa after confronting the current leader of the Southern Raiders.**_

_**Enjoy! **_

"_Are you okay?" Zuko asked Katara._

"_No. I'm not. I was so sure_ that was him until I saw his eyes. The eyes of a killer," she said. She violently spat out every word. Zuko had never seen her like this, even when fighting him.

"We'll find the man, don't worry," he reassured her, as his own uncle had done so many times for him.

He stopped, he couldn't think about this right now.

Once he allowed his mind to wander again he thought again of the encounter on the Southern Raiders ship. He had noticed something peculiar, it kind of looked like she was _making_ him move.

"Hey, Katara, can I ask you something?" he said thoughtfully.

"What is it, Zuko?"

How did he phrase this? Making him move…hmm…oh!

"Well, it's just that, it looked like you were controlling that man back there…and I just, um, wondered…" He mentally berated himself, he sounded so stupid! Why was it that nothing ever came out _right_?

Her face hardened and she was serious once more, "It's called blood bending. With my water bending I can control and living organism with blood flowing through it. It's horrible, and I wish I had never learned." Katara's eyes started watering and tears threatened to spill over. Zuko didn't know what he was going to do if she started to cry, so he tried to keep the conversation moving.

"Where did you learn it?"

The tears receded slightly, for which Zuko was thankful, and she told the story of the southern water tribe woman tricked her into it.

Zuko thought about the story for a moment. Then he look at her, to see if tears were still threatening to spill over. It was too late, though. The story he had asked for had her sobbing, and she was trying to find comfort in Appa's warm fur.

"It wasn't your fault. Stop crying about it. It's done." In those three short sentences Katara was no longer crying and ready to hit him if he said _anything_ else.

"For a minute there you sounded like your old self again!" she teased, feeling a bit better.

He had the hint of a smile, "And now you sound like _your_ old self."

She laughed, but it was cut short when Appa landed. She started thinking of what she was going to do to the man who had killed her mother.

Zuko ran over the encounter in his head after he went into his tent and laid down.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"_Do you know who I am?" Katara asked._

_The old man answered, "No…I'm not sure."_

"_Oh you better remember me like your life depends on it!" she said savagely. The old man looked scared. "Why don't you take a closer look."_

"_Yes, yes," the old man said, "I remember you now. You're the little water tribe girl…" He gulped, knowing what was coming._

"_She lied to you, she was protecting the last water bender…" Katara closed her eyes and looked away._

_The old man cocked his eyebrow up, "What? Who!" he asked, as if he had a right to._

_Katara's face hardened again and turned to him, "Me!" she screamed._

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Then Katara had perform the most astounding act of water bending he'd ever seen.

_But, _Zuko thought, _he hadn't paid attention to much water bending before._

She stopped all the rain drops that were falling around the three. Zuko had pulled down his mask to watch what Katara would do. She made a huge dome around them, and for a moment it stayed. Then she screamed her rage, at the same time turning the stayed drops and the water dome into hundreds of icicles. The man covered his face as they got closer.

Zuko's mouth dropped open, she had stopped them before they had touched the man. She stood up straight again, letting the water go.

After that he wasn't sure what had come over that guy, he suggested taking _his_ mother. To be fair. Zuko felt sick at this, and he put himself in the man's place. Only with Ursa still as his mother. Who could offer up their own mother, without even sounding bad about it? He was ashamed for the man who had killed Katara's mother.

As he thought this Katara was saying that he was pathetic, and sad, and _empty_. She told the fire nation man she just couldn't do it, the two companions locked eyes for a moment, and then Katara walked away.

Zuko had looked at the man a moment more, then followed her.

He closed his eyes, and started to drift off to sleep.

"Zuko! Are you awake?" a voice whispered.

He shot up, "What is it? What's wrong?" he said and look around.

"Oh, sorry, I guess you were sleeping. Nothing's wrong, I was just going to ask you if you could make a fire for me. I can't sleep," she said.

"What about the rain?" he asked, he could hear the rain, and he always knew when it rained. Water was the opposite of fire, after all.

"Come _on_, I'm a _water_ bender. I can deal with the rain. I'm not a _fire_ bender, though, so I can't make _fire_ in this rain," she said slowly, like she was trying to teach him. He was angry at this for a moment, but he calmed down because he knew she didn't really mean it, it was just teasing.

"Okay," he said, and climbed out of the tent. "Ugh," he groaned when the rain hit him.

"What?" she asked absently getting some wood.

"Nothing, I just really don't like the rain," Zuko explained.

"That's understandable," she said, making a bubble so Zuko could start a fire. He piled up the wood and lit it quickly. As soon as the fire was lit it stopped raining. "Huh," Katara said, looking up at the sky in confusion.

"I'll stay out here with you now that it's not raining, if you want me to, of course," Zuko quickly added.

"Sure, you can if you want to," she said. Katara sat down on a wet log and crossed her arms, laying her head on her arms. She watched the fire, looking entranced with it.

"I never thought I'd be sitting in the middle of the Fire Nation with a water bender as my friend," Zuko said quietly, also looking at the fire.

"Who said we're friends?"

"I-I-" he started.

She laughed, "Just kidding, Zuko. I'm glad you took me here, and we _are_ friends."

He crossed his arms and looked down, slightly annoyed at her. She huffed, "Goodness, Zuko, can't take a little joking around?"

He sighed, "Nah, it's just weird that you're _just_ joking around now. Being annoyed with you is obviously a hard habit to break!" He grinned at her expression. "_Joking_."

They both laughed then. It was quiet for a moment, and they watched the fire again. It swirled, and ate the wood. Aang and Zuko said fire was life, but she still didn't see it. Katara supposed that after all the years of hating the Fire Nation, she had developed a hatred for fire, too.

Zuko asked softly, "What are you thinking about, Katara?"

It took her a moment to process what he had said, "I'm thinking about how I can't see how fire is life, it just destroys things."

Zuko thought for a couple of minutes how to explain to her that fire really _was_ life. Suddenly he reached for her hand and places it on his heart.

"What are you _doing? _Let me go!" she exclaimed and tried pulling away. Zuko held her hand there.

"Feel how warm it is there?" he asked her.

"Uh, I guess…" Katara said looking at him like he was crazy.

He started moving his hand down, "Whoa! I am _not_ doing this, Zuko! I love Aang! And this is _so_ wrong, and-"

He cut her off. "Katara, will you just stop talking for a minute? I'm trying to explain something here. I'm not making you do _anything_!" If it had been light out, Katara would have seen him blushing about what she had just accused him of.

"Now, feel how warm it is _here_?" he asked her. She nodded. Then understanding came.

"It's not warm, it's hot! Why is it like that, are you hurt? You can just _ask_ when you need me to heal you, instead of this crazy-"

Again, he cut her off, "Katara! I'm not hurt. It's hotter because that's my inner fire." He let her hand go, but it stayed for a second, causing his blush to return.

"Oh," she whispered. She thought for a minute, "That's kind of amazing."

"Amazing how?" he asked, feeling she was getting to the point on her own.

"It's amazing that it doesn't burn you from the inside out!" she exclaimed.

"See, all fire doesn't destroy. I'm not sure what _exactly_ would happen if I lost my bending, but I know my inner fire would go out, and I would become weak," Zuko said.

"Wow," Katara said softly.

Zuko shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. In the firelight the water bender looked…he tried for the word, but he stopped thinking of her instead. Instead, he looked at the fire.

Picking up a safer trail of thoughts, he went over their conversation from just now in his head. The more he thought about it, the more he focused on when Katara had protested, telling him it wasn't right and that she was in love with Aang. Zuko, of course, knew what she was talking about. She had thought that he would force her into giving him a hand job.

He was angry at this, even his _old_ self wouldn't do that! He had been taught at a young age about women, and how they should be treated with the utmost respect. It did not matter that he was the prince. His mother would not have him shaming their family by forcing a girl to do anything.

At twelve his father had stepped in, saying how was he to learn unless he had _actual_ experience with a woman? So the Fire Lord had gotten him a whore.

Zuko's hands balled into fists, and fire was dancing on his knuckles. His first time, wasted by a _whore_. Why had he cooperated?

_Because_, he thought, _I wanted to please him._

He was sent back to the present when Katara yelped in pain. She had been sitting near him, and it was close enough for him to burn her accidentally. Without thinking about it, the fire dancing on his white knuckles grew, and it reached out to touch Katara.

"Ouch! What are you thinking!" she exclaimed. It was completely different than when he had said it to her a couple of minutes ago.

"Oh Agni, Katara! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to - I mean, I wasn't even thinking about it -" he rushed out.

She stormed off to her tent without looking at him, no doubt to heal herself. Zuko hung his head in his hands, why couldn't he do anything right?


	2. Chapter 2

Once Katara was inside her tent it started to rain once more.

_How odd_, Zuko thought. He sat, miserable, in the rain until the fire started to die down. Once it finally did he got up to go to his tent, and stopped and thought for a moment. Maybe he should go try to apologize again? To see if there was anything he could do?

Yes, that's what he should do. He turned around and headed for Katara's tent, which was directly across from his and some ten feet away. He stopped when he reached it, should he just go in? It wasn't like he could knock or anything. He should let her know that he was there, though.

"Katara?" he asked. No answer, "Katara, could I come in?"

He waiter, but still no answer. She must be really mad at him, mad enough to be given the silent treatment instead of being scolded.

The young prince was absolutely chivalrous, of course he had listened to his mother at that young age.

"_If a girl does not want you there," Ursa had said holding him on her lap, "then you should not be there. Only if you feel that you love her should you violate that. Okay, Zuko?"_

_He squirmed down off of her lap and bowed to her, "Okay, Mom!"_

He smiled slightly, then said to Katara, "I'm sorry that I burned you. I didn't mean to do it, I was just lost in my thoughts, and I guess I got really angry. Sometimes I can't control my fire when I'm lost in my own world like that. Not that I'm trying to make excuses or anything, but -" a hand shot out, grabbed Zuko's shirt, and attempted to pull him into the tent.

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean to," she said and kissed him on the cheek to show that she really did forgive him. "It's just, I was a little overly mad because I found out I can't heal myself. Well, I can, but it doesn't work nearly as well," she explained.

He nodded, "May I see the burn?" he asked. She nodded her consent and held her hand out. Zuko examined it, the burn was limited to the left side of her left hand. It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it might be. He was very careful not to touch the actual burn, he knew how he felt about his own scar. He didn't want anybody near it, so he knew she wouldn't want him touching a fresh burn. Made by him, no less.

While Zuko inspected her hand Katara was quiet, and took the opportunity to think. Specifically, she took the opportunity to wonder about what he had thought about that led to him burning her. Ever since he had joined the group he seemed so cautious not to do anything wrong.

Zuko had to will himself to drop her pretty, but now scarred, hand. What was coming over him? Once he did finally relinquish it she accidentally placed it on his knee for a moment. This caused another silence, though more awkward than the previous.

"Zuko?" she said evenly.

"Hm?" he asked.

"What were you thinking about that caused your fists to burn like that?" she asked.

He blushed, glad that the only light was still the fire some feet away. "It's personal," he conceded.

"Oh, come on. I told you what _I_ was thinking of!" Katara exclaimed.

He debated telling her what he really had been thinking of. He hadn't ever told anybody, not even Mai. Nobody could tell so he didn't ever have to tell anyone. Maybe he wanted to tell someone, just for the sake of getting it out there.

Zuko looked and Katara, her face was full of concern and confusion, and her big blue eyes were wide with interest.

"I was thinking about the whore my father bought for me," he said all at once, words blurring into one another.

"_What?_" she exclaimed. Zuko knew she had heard him correctly when her eyes just about popped out of her head. He almost smiled, just her expression made telling her worth it.

"It's true. When I burned you I was thinking how sick it was that my first time was with a whore, and how'd I'd never get that back," he said.

She thought about this for a minute. "Was it…bad?" she asked Zuko tentatively. Katara didn't know much about sex, except for babies were made that way and it could be good or bad.

He blushed furiously, and even in this light Katara could see it. "Sorry, I guess that's personal…" she trailed off.

"Yeah," he said, his voice hardening, "it is."

"Sorry," Katara apologized again.

"It's fine," he said with an odd finality.

They sat in silence for a long time, not knowing what else to say. They both studied one another secretly. Zuko admiring how the soft warm firelight hit her face. Katara just now noticing that he didn't have a shirt on.

_Wow, _Katara thought, _those muscles…Aang certainly doesn't have those…Years of fire bending must make them._

Zuko snapped out of it first, realizing she was staring at him. Not only was she staring at him, but she was staring at his bare chest. This sparked something in Zuko, and although he didn't know what it was yet, it would burn hotter everyday until the day he died. He eyes slightly widened at the tiny spark. He wanted to kiss her.

Unsure of what he was doing, and completely unaware of whatever it was that he felt towards this particular water bender, he leaned over to kiss her.

Katara was just enough entranced that she didn't notice him leaning in at first. When she did finally notice it, she did not think to stop him. Her mind raced faster than she could decipher it. Eventually she pulled out one single thought from among many:

What does one kiss matter?

Katara closed the gap, and their lips touched for the first

time. Katara had closed her eyes, but Zuko wasn't nearly that trusting. When he pulled back her eyes were still closed.

"Katara?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes, "Yeah, Zuko?" she whispered back.

Zuko quickly switched to sitting cross legged and answered, "Come here." He held his arms out for her and settled her on his lap. Katara instinctively wrapped her legs around him and she leaned down so their lips would meet for a second time.

The kiss started off slowly, questioningly, but immediately deepened when Zuko tilted his head sideways. He wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to bring her closer to him. Her hands trailed down to his stomach, where she now knew was hottest. It made sense to her now, it was his very core of being.

Katara felt the slight growth of something underneath her. She broke the kiss for much needed air and fidgeted. Zuko hissed and sucked air in. He knew that she had no idea what she was doing.

_Maybe I should educate her,_ he thought at once. He smirked at his own though. Katara raised her eyebrows at him, but he didn't answer. Instead he raised her up a bit, uncrossed his legs, untangled her legs, and laid her down on the tent floor. Katara looked scared with Zuko just looming over her.

Katara also didn't know what she was feeling. She felt like she was on fire, and in the oddest of places. But the one thing that was confusing her most, was that she felt she was going to wet herself.

The most logical thing she could do at this point was ask Zuko. And so she did.

Just as he had positioned himself on top of her she asked, "Zuko? Why do I feel like this?" He froze where he was.

Zuko had no idea she was that naïve. She was fifteen! How could she not even know what she was feeling as he kissed her?

"What _are_ you feeling?" he asked.

Katara blushed hard, she almost reconsidered. But she needed to know. "I feel hot in…weird places and…" she almost left off the second part, but rushed it out anyway, "and I feel like I'm going to wet myself, but not really!"

Zuko smirked, "You find me attractive and you like what I'm going to do to you."

She took not time in asking her next question, "What _are_ you going to do to me?" she squeaked.

Zuko's voice lowered, "That would ruin the surprise."

Katara looked nervous as hell, and Zuko felt bad. "Katara, listen to me. We do not have to do anything. When you want to stop just tell me, alright?" he waited to go on until she nodded. "Do you want to stop?" he asked her.

She thought about this. Though Zuko was getting impatient, he knew that he must wait for her decision. Suddenly her mouth opened and Zuko snapped to attention, "I don't want to go any further," Katara reasoned, and Zuko's pants got looser. She continued, "But, I don't want to stop." She smiled mischievously at the glow in his amber eyes.

_I don't have to stop!_ Zuko mentally yelled in glorious happiness.

Zuko lay over her again, having their bodies touching but him supporting his weight with his elbow. Katara wrapped her arms around him, not knowing quite what else to do. He kissed her, and this time it was a long, smoldering kiss.

Katara lay there as Zuko called all of the shots. She was enjoying herself, but was too timid in this new situation to do much else. Zuko thought it was hilarious that the most powerful water bender he knew could be so unsure of herself in this situation. Between kisses Katara stifled a yawn, and Zuko stopped.

"We should probably sleep," he said and got off of her.

"I guess. We do have things to do tomorrow…" Katara said.

"Yes, we have to fly back to where Sokka, Toph, and Aang are," he said. Katara's heart skipped a beat when he mentioned the Avatar's name, but let it go for now. She would deal with the consequences of this night later. For now she still wanted Zuko around.

Katara watched him start to get up to leave to his own tent, but she grabbed his hand, and pulled him back down. "Stay here," she said, "just for tonight?"

"Why?" Zuko asked with surprise.

She told the truth, "Because this is the last time I'll do this with you. I told you earlier, I love Aang. I plan on marrying him one day."

Zuko was extremely confused, "So since you plan on marrying Aang one day," as he said this he felt a stab of jealousy. Wait, jealousy? He continued, "you want me to sleep in your tent?" Zuko refrained from using the term 'sleep with you'. Even though Katara probably wouldn't even know what it meant. Hadn't she ever heard Sokka and Suki?

"Well, kind of," Katara offered, "I just mean that as soon as we go back I'm not doing this again."

Zuko's heart beat faster. First he found out she was with the Avatar, and now he finds out that this is only a one time thing. "So this didn't mean _anything_?" he yelled and stood up, ready to leave.

Katara could only blink in surprise. He was right, of course. What had she done? "I don't know," Katara choked out, tears spilling over.

Zuko gave an angry growl, she was crying again. He couldn't just leave her alone in here to cry. He sighed and sat down again. "I'm sorry for yelling, Katara."

Tears still rolled down her face, she shook her head, "Go away. You did this! You kissed me and look where we are now!" she yelled at the fire prince. When Zuko hesitated and finally stood up, shocked, Katara pushed him out of the tent angrily.

Katara cried, what had she done? She had allowed herself to think that one kiss with Zuko wouldn't hurt anything. But it had turned into more than just one kiss! What if Aang found out? What would he think? I love Aang! Why was I even looking at Zuko's bare chest? I've seen it before when he was training Aang!

Maybe it was just hormones or something. Maybe when she was up close it was different than just watching them spar and train. And he had thought it _meant_ something? What did that even mean?

_Wait,_ Katara thought, _that couldn't mean that he…_

Katara refused to finish the thought, but somewhere inside her she knew the thought that she hadn't dare to finish.


	3. Chapter 3

Katara was sitting on the edge of a dock. She thought about her mother. She thought about the man that killed her mother. She thought how she was too weak to avenge her mother's death. She frowned and her eyebrows knit together.

Aang came running. "Katara! Are you okay?"

Katara looked up at the sinking sun. "I'm fine."

"Zuko told me what you did," he paused, "er, what you didn't do I guess. I'm proud of you."

Katara glanced behind her. "I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to." She closed her eyes sadly.

"You did the right thing," Aang said with conviction. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing," he advised.

Katara got up quickly to face him. "But I didn't forgive him," she said vehemently, "I'll never forgive him." She looked down, her eyebrows knitted together again. After a moment she looked up and smiled. Katara took a step towards Zuko. "But I am ready to forgive you."

She took a few more quick steps toward him and hugged him. They both closed their eyes and savored the closeness. Aang thought Katara was forgiving him for chasing after the Avatar. But Zuko knew that she was forgiving him for what happened last night. In that one hug she had meant to convey to him that it was her fault, too.

She ended the hug quickly and walked to where Sokka and Appa stood. As she walked away she heard the beginning of a conversation.

"You were right about what Katara needed…" Zuko said to Aang. But she didn't hear anything more.

As Katara neared Sokka he, for once, had nothing to say. Katara look at him, and he looked at her. Their mother hadn't been avenged, and would never be, but they had come closer to closure about what had happened.

Zuko walked after Katara, Aang following a little bit behind him.

"We should move on. We've been in one place for too long," Zuko said.

"He's right. But where do we go?" Aang said.

They all thought for a minute, and after that minute Katara said, "You know the most about the Fire Nation, Zuko. Where should we go?"

They all turned to him.

"Uhm…" Zuko thought. "Well there is one place I know of where nobody will look for us."

"Well, what is it?" Sokka asked.

"My family owns a house on Ember Island. It's a resort," Zuko answered.

"A _resort_? How could we be safe at a resort! And in the Fire Lord's own house!" Katara screeched.

"No one in my family has gone there in years. Not since we were happy, that is," he assured her.

"Well, I say we go for it," Aang said.

Suki and Toph came around the other side of Appa. "I think Sparky knows what he's talking about, we should listen to him," Toph said. "Ember Island it is!" Sokka exclaimed.

Katara's mouth dropped, "Don't _I_ get a say in this?"

"No," Sokka and Toph said at once. Katara huffed and started packing her stuff. Toph earth bended her tent down, and everyone else starting packing their own things. Quickly everybody but Aang was in the saddle.

"Everybody ready?" he asked with the reins for the huge bison in his hands.

"Yeah," Katara answered for all them.

"Yip yip!"

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Katara sat next to Toph watching Zuko and Aang go through a fire bending sequence. Toph laid back and relaxed while Katara compared the two fire benders.

They were equally matched in fire bending, for now at least. Aang would soon surpass his teacher in skill. This was to be expected, he _was_ the Avatar and all. But for now Zuko had more to teach the boy.

Zuko was a couple of inches taller than Aang, but that was also to be expected. Zuko was four years older than Aang after all. Katara thought back to the first day she had known Aang. They had gone penguin sledding.

It seemed so far off now, it had been months and months ago. But more than that it seemed like she had a different life then. That was before she had known that Aang was the Avatar, and before she had known that she would travel up and down the world with him. He seemed far more childish then than now, but even now Aang had not let go of that carefree child inside him. He hadn't had too, yet.

Zuko on the other hand had left that part of himself at the Palace when he was thirteen. He had been banished. That must have killed that part of him with one fiery blast.

Katara watched as they ended the sequence by closing their eyes and breathing, then bowing to each other. She compared Aang and Zuko's muscles. A few days ago when they had been alone in a tent, Katara had thought that Zuko had muscles that Aang did not. She had been wrong. Aang had the same muscles, but were far less pronounced.

Katara reasoned that Aang had an air benders build. She had always thought that the air benders were thin and had wiry muscles. All the better for flying, she guessed.

She had seen Fire Nation before, though. She knew first hand that those men, and even women, were large and heavily muscled. Maybe it all depended from which people you were descended from…

Zuko stretched his arms above his head and walked towards the fountain to sit down.

"Doesn't it seem weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked. She turned towards Toph, directing the question at her. Toph didn't even open her eyes.

Zuko was wiping the sweat off of his neck with a rag. "I told you, my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy. And that was a long time ago. This is the last place anyone would think to look for us."

Sokka ran out into the courtyard. "You guys are not going to believe this! There's a play about us," he sounded smug.

Suki ran after her boyfriend. "We were just in town and we found this poster!"

Sokka unrolled the poster so they could see. In the background was Zuko's eyes, but his scar was on the wrong side. Then there was Katara, Aang, and Sokka. Katara was in a water bending pose, and Aang was in an air bending pose. Sokka held up one of his weapons. To the left of the writing was some old man.

Katara walked over to get a better look. "What? How is that possible?"

Sokka flipped around the poster. "Listen to this:" He proceeded to read what the poster had to say. They had apparently gotten information about them from singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.

_Huh? What 'merchant of cabbage?'_, Katara thought.

Then Suki read, "Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players."

Zuko groaned. "My mother used to take us to see them, they butchered _Love Amongst the Dragons_ every year."

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea to attend a play that's about ourselves?" Katara said. She felt that she must be the voice of reason.

Sokka frowned at her. "Come on! A day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky time wasting nonsense I've been missing!" He grinned, trying to sell it, but Katara just looked at Zuko. He didn't say anything to object, so they decided to go. Why not do some wacky time wasting nonsense?

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

They got to the theater when it was almost filled up. Apparently a play about the Avatar and his friends attracts a lot of attention. Katara led them to seats high up in the theater.

On Katara's right sat Toph. Just as Aang was sitting down, Zuko slipped in between them. She looked away. Why would he be _so obvious_? Aang got up and crossed his arms at Zuko.

"Hey, ah, _I_ wanted to sit there," he said.

Zuko pulled down his hood. "Just sit next to me, what's the big deal?" Of course, Zuko already knew what the big deal was. Katara had told him herself that she _loved_ Aang.

"I was just…I wanted to…," Aang gave up, "Okay." He sat down on Zuko's left. Katara looked pointedly ahead.

As the theater darkened Toph complained, "Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can't see a thing from up here!" She crossed her arms.

Katara felt bad, she hadn't even thought that Toph wouldn't be able to see from up here! "Don't worry, I'll tell you're feet what's happening," she joked.

Just after she said that the curtain opened and there was her and Sokka paddling in their canoe! They had on Water Tribe clothes and everything! Her face lit up at this. Sokka grabbed her shoulder and pointed to himself and the real Katara, to their actors on stage. He was also grinning, and making a weird noise.

Suki had her arm on his should, as if to tell Sokka to calm down. Zuko just looked at them like they were crazy.

Then Sokka's actor made a bad joke about food at the entire theater laughed at it. That wiped the grins off of their faces. The siblings looked at each other, both wanting to say: _huh?_

The Sokka actor cracked another bad joke about food and the real Sokka got angry. "This is pathetic! My jokes are _way_ funnier than this!"

Toph pulled her arms behind her head and leaned back. She laughed and said, "I think they've got you pegged!" Sokka glared at her.

Next the Katara actress gave an impromptu and very emotional speech about hope, and ended up crying.

Katara was the angry one now. "Well that's just silly! I don't sound like that!" Everybody laughed, even Zuko gave a small smile.

"Oh man!" Toph said clutching her stomach, "This writer's a genius!"

Then they found the iceberg than Aang had been frozen in. Aang leaned forward and smiled in anticipation to see his actor. When the actor jumped out, they saw that it wasn't a male at all, it was a girl! Aang widened his eyes in surprise and cringed

"Wait, is that a _woman_ playing me?" Aang asked. Zuko gave another small smile at this.

After a couple moments and more emotional hope speeches and bad meat jokes the actress playing Aang announced that he was 'an incurable prankster!'.

"I don't do that! That's not what I'm like!" Aang exclaimed. "And I'm _NOT_ a woman!"

Toph erupted in laughter once again, "Oh, they nailed you Twinkletoes!"

Next Zuko and his uncle came on. General Iroh seemed preoccupied with cake and Zuko seemed very uptight.

Zuko recrossed his arms, "They make me look totally stiff and humorless."

Katara smirked, "Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot on."

"_How could you say that!"_ he exclaimed. Only seconds later the actor that played him on stage yelled the very same thing at his uncle. Zuko crouched down lower in his seat, slightly embarrassed.

After a while Suki's actor came on. They were playing out the scene where Sokka had dressed up in Kyoshi warrior uniform.

"Does this make my butt look fat?" Sokka's actor asked. Everyone laughed, including Suki, making Sokka blush.

After the Blue Spirit scene Aang and Zuko glanced at each other, really embarrassed.

When they got to the part where Yue gave her life back to the Moon Sokka had tears in his eyes.

But Suki just giggled. "You never told me you made out with the Moon Spirit!"

Sokka pushed her away and continued to cry, "Shh, I'm trying to watch."

There was finally an intermission after the Siege of the North. They gang walked out, reflecting on what they had seen so far.

"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko bit out.

"Apparently the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who thinks I tell bad jokes about meat all the time!" Sokka complained, brandishing a piece of jerky.

Suki smiled. "Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics," she joked.

"I know!" Sokka squeaked.

"At least the Sokka actor looks like you! That woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all!" Aang exclaimed.

"I dunno, you are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys," Toph teased. Aang gave a growl of frustration.

"Relax, Aang. They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy cry baby who can't resist giving over-emotion speeches about hope all the time!" Katara comforted him. But everybody was silent. "What?" she asked.

Aang sat down again and looked away, "Yeah…that's not you at all…"

"Listen friends, it's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage, is the truth."

Everybody stayed silent. After a couple of minutes of this they went back inside to their seats.

Eventually they get to the part where Aang starts looking for an earth bending teacher.

Toph gets excited, "This is it! This is when I come in!….Here it comes!"

"You can't find an earth bending master in the sky, you have to look underground," Toph's actor stated. And it was an actor, not an actress. What was with this writer and switching the character's genders around? The gang laughed, but Toph didn't this time.

"Wait a minute," Toph cleaned out her ear, "I sound like…a guy. A really buff…guy!"

Katara leaned towards her and became smug. "Well, Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?"

"Are you _kidding_ me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way!" she exclaimed. Katara wasn't as happy now that Toph was happy with her actor. Toph giggled, "At least it's not a flying bald lady!"

The scenes passed until they were under Lake Laogi with Jet.

"Must. Serve. Earth King!" said Jet's actor. "Must. Destrooooy!" A 'rock' fell on top of him and the actor struggled to get under it.

"Did Jet just…die?" Zuko asked.

"You know, it was really unclear," Sokka said.

Nothing extremely shocking came up again until Katara was thrown into the cavern under Ba Sing Se.

"You know, Prince Zuko, I reeeally find you attractive," Katara's actor said. Zuko stiffened beside her. Katara knew how he felt.

"You don't have to make fun of me!" Zuko's actor said.

"But I mean it," Katara's actor said a little sultrily, "I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me…" Katara and Zuko promptly slid apart on the seat they were sitting on. Aang frowned.

"Wait! I thought you were the Avatar's girl!" Zuko's actor said. Aang perked up at this.

Katara's actor laughed like that was the craziest idea ever. "Why, the Avatar? He's like a little brother to me! I certainly don't think of him in a _romantic_ way." Aang frowned once more at this. So did Katara. A little brother? No way! Right?

"Besides, how could he ever find out about…" the Zuko and Katara actor's embraced, "…this." Katara's eyes bugged out. _Could_ Aang find out what she and Zuko had done just a few nights ago? Aang got up angrily and Sokka asked him to get him some more food.

In the next scene Zuko chose Azula over his uncle. "…And I hate you for all time!" his actor finished.

Zuko was leaning on the railing, looking down. "You didn't really say that, did you?" Katara asked with concern.

"I might as well have," he said softly in answer. He turned away. Katara didn't press any further. She guessed it was a touchy subject with him, and that he wasn't proud about what he'd done.

Then Azula 'killed' Aang with her lightning. Katara heard Zuko's palm connecting with his face. The crowd cheered. Then there was another intermission.

When Katara walked out she found Sokka and Suki already leaning against a wall talking. Suki was saying something about them losing a lot of battles. Sokka countered with something about Azula taking her captive and Suki frowned.

"Are you trying to get on my bad side?" Suki asked him.

"I'm just sayin'," Sokka held his hands up.

"Does anyone know where Aang is?" Katara asked them. She was worried he had flown off or something, she hadn't seen him in a while.

"He left to get me fire gummies and I'm still waiting!"

Katara disregarded her brother's comment. "I'm gonna check outside."

She walked outside to one of the many balconies on this theater. She spotted Aang leaning against the railing, looking out across the ocean.

"Are you alright?" Katara asked. She couldn't think of a reason why he wouldn't be, but she asked anyway. Obvious, something was wrong.

"No! I'm not!" he said and threw off his hat. "I hate this place!" She was surprised. He had been one of the people that had actually been excited to come see this play.

She walked towards him. "I know it's upsetting, but it sounds like you're overreacting."

"_Overreacting?_" he yelled. "If I hadn't blocked my chakra I would probably be in the Avatar State right now!" She leaned on the railing, too. They were silent.

After a moment Aang spoke again. "Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?" Katara thought, what had she said? She didn't think she had said anything…except for asking Toph if it hurt.

"In where? What are you talking about?" Katara asked. Aang turned around and his arms crossed.

"On stage! When you said I was just like a - brother to you, and you didn't have feelings for me."

"I didn't say that, an actor said that," she explained.

"But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not."

A thought of Zuko flashed quickly in her mind. What did that _mean?_ "Aang, I don't know."

"Why don't you know?" he asked, sounding a little impatient with her for not knowing that she wanted to be with him. She was only fifteen!

"Because we're in the middle of a war, and we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time," Katara conceded.

"Well, when _is _the right time?" Aang looked up at her with those big eyes. Suddenly she thought of all those little boys that Sokka had been 'training' in the South Pole. Sometimes they had looked up at him just like Aang was looking at her now. Just looking for answers that they didn't have because they were too young.

"Aang, I'm sorry but right now I'm just a little confused." Katara looked down, why did she feel so guilty?

Suddenly she felt Aang's chapped lips on hers. "I just said I was confused!" she yelled at him. His eyes widened again, but not from questioning this time. "I'm going inside."

She ran to where the group had been. They weren't there, so she figured they had gone to take their seats again. In the midst of the third act she heard Aang taking his seat. Only this time he sat next to Sokka and Suki, not Zuko. Sokka caught him up on what he had missed.

When the invasion scene came on and Katara once again said that she loved Aang like a brother she felt even guiltier. Did she just love Aang as a brother? She bit her lip and her eyebrows knit. Beside her Zuko had a perfectly straight face, not showing any emotion.

During the invasion in the play Zuko joined them. Katara thought about it and decided it wasn't too far off.

Sokka stood up and stretched. "I guess that's it, the play's caught up to the present now."

Suki pulled him down. "Wait, the play's not over."

"But, it is over. Unless - this is the _future!_"

After Zuko and Azula fought on the day of Sozin's Comet Zuko died. The crowd cheered as the actor that played Azula bowed. Zuko's emotionless mask broke, and he made a face like he couldn't believe it. Then everybody but Toph turned and looked at Zuko.

Next up was the fight between the Avatar and the Fire Lord. Katara had a hunch what came next, if the previous fight had been any indication.

"Nooooooooooo…" Aang's actress cried as she lay in the 'fire' dying.

"The dreams of my father, and my father's father, have now been realized. The world it, mine!" the Ozai actor cried. The crowd stood and cheered.

The six of them just stared with eyes wide and jaws dropped.

After they all agreed that the play was terrible on the walk back to the house they were pretty silent. Katara thought they must all be thinking about the play. Except for Aang. And maybe Zuko.

She was thinking of how guilty she was. She had kind of just turned down Aang. She had told Zuko she loved Aang, and then just rejected him! And why? Because she couldn't help but think of Zuko! She was so confused.


	4. Chapter 4

The whole gang sat on the front steps of the Fire Lord's house on Ember Island watching Aang and Zuko. Zuko had his arms crossed and yelled at Aang for more. Aang didn't seem to be as into the fire bending as Zuko would have liked, and Katara was sure that agitated the Fire Prince. It seemed he had a permanent scowl on ever since they had gotten back from the play. Everyone had been a little moodier, but it had showed most on Zuko.

And then there was Aang. He had been avoiding her after the incident on the balcony. It seemed that he was still angry at her for her confusion. He hadn't laughed as much in the past few days and he had spent more time alone with Appa than usual. Katara was just glad he wasn't running away from his problems, for once.

Her mind trailed back to thoughts of Zuko. And that night. She still wondered what had come over her in the odd few minutes she had spent with him. She hadn't ever experienced those feelings before, and hadn't afterward while kissing Aang either. She still didn't even know what to refer to them as. This made her feel foolish and childish.

He had said something that night that had made her think, for a moment, that those kisses actually meant something. But that had been only a flicker of a thought before she had gotten angry and told him it was his fault. She hadn't even apologized properly for that, because she didn't want Aang knowing about it.

"Imagine striking through your opponents heart," Zuko stated. His arms were still crossed. He still had a scowl on his face. He still tried to avoid looking at her. He was angry, obviously, and the Ember Island players hadn't helped that at all. She was sure being in the place where his family had once been wasn't a joy ride either.

"Ugh! I'm TRYING!" Aang threw his arms out in frustration, but that didn't phase the older boy. His stance didn't change.

"Now let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo!" he yelled, balling his fists. Aang whipped around and let out a not-very-impressive growl. It was no roar, even she had to say.

"That sounded pathetic! I said ROAR!" he yelled again. She could see Aang was looking at his teacher like he was crazy. She figured this would be a good time to go inside and grab those melons she had prepared earlier, just for a situation like this one. She hurried in and grabbed them, walking quickly back.

"Who wants a nice, cool glass of water melon juice?" Katara asked just after Zuko nodded to Aang to signal he had done well. Aang turned immediately, watermelon juice overpowering the ignorance of her. He started running towards her but Zuko grabbed his shirt and told him his lesson wasn't over.

"Come on, Zuko, just take a break. What's the big deal?" Suki asked from her lounging spot next to Sokka. Zuko let go of him and Aang skittered off.

"Fine. If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" Zuko stormed off.

"Maybe Zuko's right," Sokka said and everyone turned towards him in surprise. He was the _last_ one to agree with Zuko. "Maybe sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change that…BEACH PARTY!" he screeched and ripped off his clothing so he was left in just his under shorts and promptly jumped into the ocean without further hesitation.

Katara followed her brothers lead and stripped down to her under bindings and ran to the water, where she made a block of ice to ride on. Suki eventually made it down with her mat to lounge on the beach. It seemed that Suki was doing a lot of lounging lately. Suki's face suddenly looked worried, and she saw why. Sokka was attempting art.

She looked away, sure it was going to be awful.

"Check out my Appa sand sculpture!" Aang exclaimed. It actually looked just like Appa! Katara was impressed. Appa growled at the sculpture of himself.

Toph walked over, no doubt sending vibration so she could see Aang's sculpture with her feet. "Not bad Baldy. But I've been working on my sand bending. You're gonna _love_ this." She got into her bending pose and out popped a sand miniature of Ba Sing Se.

"Whoa!" Aang knelt down to look at it. "You even made a little Earth King and Bosco!"

While Toph had been showing off her sand bending skills Sokka was hard at work on his own sculpture. She looked, but she couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be.

Suddenly Sokka felt it was done and turned around for a big 'tada!'

"Is that…a…blubbering blob monster?" Aang asked. Sokka stomped his feet.

"No! It's Suki!"

Aang's mouth dropped open in embarrassment and surprise. Then Toph and Aang laughed.

"Suki, we'll all understand if you break up with him over this," Toph teased.

"I think it's sweet…" she smiled and Sokka rushed over to kiss her cheek. Suki was really good for Sokka, Katara decided. Suddenly a blast of fire brought her out of her nice, happy thoughts.

It came from where Zuko was jumping in the air. What was he _doing?_ He directed the powerful blasts of fire towards Aang. Aang ran and jumped over the tiny Ba Sing Se, and Zuko blasted that down, too.

Aang ran and jumped over the sculpture of Appa, peeking out from behind it to see where Zuko was. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching you a lesson," Zuko replied. He was still in his fighting stance, and Katara couldn't help but remember all those times when he was still bad that he had nearly won, and nearly taken Aang. Had he turned bad again?

That doesn't make any sense! He had taught Aang how to fire bend! He had offered himself up to be put in chains, once! This had to be something different, a mistake of some sort.

After blasting him with fire blasts time and time again with Aang just evading him, Zuko climbed up the cliff after his target. The group ran after the two when they disappeared from view. They saw the various burning things and followed them up to the house. Sokka started in to go find them, but Suki stopped him and told him to wait. Katara agreed with her, it might be dangerous. They were both very powerful benders.

Something clicked in her mind.

_You will marry a powerful bender_.

Toph said something but she didn't hear her. She stood still. Zuko _was_ a very powerful bender. She had always assumed Aunt Wu had been talking about Aang, but now that she thought about it: Aang wasn't the only powerful bender out there. And Zuko was one of them.

Katara snapped out of her shocking revelation when someone shot through out of the house in a giant air blast. They all ran towards Zuko, down on all fours apparently catching his breath.

Forgetting her revelation in anger she screamed at him. "What's wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!"

"What wrong with _me_? What wrong with all _you!_ How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away?"

Everybody looked around at each other guiltily. "Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?" Zuko said, calmer now.

"About Sozin's Comet. I was gonna wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came," Aang explained.

"After?"

"I'm not ready. I need more time to master fire bending," Aang conceded.

"And frankly, your earth bending could still use some work, too," Toph added. Even standing behind Aang Katara knew that he frowned.

"So…you all knew Aang was going to wait?" Zuko asked. It seemed like he was still piecing it all together in his head.

Sokka stepped up and offered some hard truths. "Honestly, if Aang fights the Fire Lord right now, he's gonna lose." He paused. "No offense," he added, as if that would make it better.

"The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the Comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the war. But they pretty won the war when they took Ba Sing Se," Katara explained. "Things can't get any worse." She looked down in sadness for how hopeless things were looking.

"You're wrong." She looked up when Zuko said this. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine." He turned his back to them. Despite the actual meaning of the words he said something in Katara stirred at this. He did not run way. He faced things head on. He never gave up without a fight.

"The day before the eclipse my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It was what I dreamed about and wanted for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back." Zuko proceeded to relate the war meeting to them, and his accidental part in the plan that was made. "I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't. My whole life I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance." Zuko was now sitting down and speaking to the ground. All Katara could do was stare and her mouth dropped into an 'O'. "But once I had it, I realized I had lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."

Katara fell to her knees, "I can't believe it…"

Sokka wrapped his arm around Suki protectively, "I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but his plan is just pure evil!"

"What am I gonna do?" Aang asked to no one in particular.

Zuko got up from the place he had been sitting, "I know you're scared, and I know you're not ready to save the world. But if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the Comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore." Everybody was silent for a moment, and it gave what Zuko had said some finality.

"Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan _sooner_?" Aang shouted at Zuko angrily.

"I didn't think I had to! I assumed that you were still going to fight him before the Comet! No one told me you decided to wait!"

Aang seemed to be a few feet away having something of a panic attack. "This is bad, this is really, really bad."

"Aang," Katara started, "you don't have to do this alone."

"Yeah! If we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down!" Toph agreed heartily.

"Yeah! Team Avatar is back!" Sokka exclaimed. "Air, water, earth, fire, fan and sword!" Sokka lifted up leaves that looked similar to a fan and sword stoically, but they folded over and drooped.

"Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together," Aang said with his eyebrows dropping in seriousness, but then he smiled. "But I would want to do it any other way."

Katara led the way to hug him, forgetting how he had ignored her, and everybody piled in. Except for Zuko, who hung back, unsure.

"Get over here, Zuko! Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs," Katara explained. Zuko hesitated, but ended up frowning and complying. Katara heard a groan from Appa, and the whole group was pushed down under the huge animal's weight. A moment later Momo landed on Appa's head.

Zuko pulled Aang back to the courtyard to continue training, and Katara couldn't help but follow them to watch. Momo jumped on her shoulder, effective catching a ride.

Aang stood at attention in front of Zuko, and Katara sat down on the steps with Momo jumping off of her to sit beside her.

"There's one technique you need to know before facing my father," Zuko said. "How to redirect lightning."

Just like Aang, Katara's eyes shot open. Redirecting lightning? Even though she wasn't a fire bending she had never heard anything like it. It must be really advanced.

Zuko started to demonstrate. "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You're turning your opponents energy against them." Katara thought about what he said. It sounded sort of familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it…

Aang, the quick learner that he was when he truly applied himself, caught it immediately. "That's like water bending!" Aang started to copy Zuko's movements enthusiastically.

"Exactly. My uncle invented this technique himself by studying water benders."

"So…have you ever redirected lightning before?" Aang asked. Katara knew that if she were in Zuko's place Aang's eyes would be wide with curiosity, just like at the theater when she thought his eyes akin to the children of her tribe looking up to Sokka for guidance.

Katara leaned forward for the Fire Prince's answer. "Once. Against my father."

"What'd it feel like?" Aang had asked the question Katara herself was thinking. Aang and Zuko put a halt to the motions so Zuko could answer the question.

"Exhilarating…but terrifying." Aang slumped at 'terrifying'. Of course, he would think that it was all a game, that's what he thought of water bending until the North Pole. Katara knew that he would come to a new appreciation of fire bending after facing the Fire Lord. "You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body. But you know if you make the wrong move, it's over."

Aang chuckled nervously at Zuko's words. "Well, not over over. I mean, there's always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, am I right?" Aang turned to her for confirmation.

"Actually, I used it all up after Azula shot you."

Aang's nervous grin fell, "Oh."

"You'll have to take the Fire Lord's life, before he takes yours." After saying this Zuko turned, as if dismissing the conversation.

Aang turned and walked away, "Yeah…I'll just do that."

Later that day, just before sunset, Sokka organized kind of practice arena. He gave orders to who did what. Everybody did great, in Katara's opinion. She knew though that it would be nearly as easy as this was. After all, it was only Toph and a melon they were against. But Toph was a fierce competitor, it's just that the Fire Lord would no doubt be angrier, and fiercer, and who knows what else!

It felt good and kind of…right? Yes, it felt right to be fighting next to Zuko. They put aside how they felt about each other and had one another's backs. Even though Katara didn't quite know how she felt about him yet, she sometimes thought that maybe that night in her tent had meant something. And every once in a great while, she would think maybe, just _maybe_, that she wasn't supposed to be with Aang after all.

When they got up to the 'Melon Lord' (as Sokka so aptly named the thing) Aang froze. Sokka yelled at him, and Aang said something about not feeling like himself. Katara wasn't paying much attention because Zuko's hand was paying attention to hers. She looked over at him, but he kept his smirk straight ahead. Katara whipped her hand away and crossed her arms. She glanced over to see his reaction to this, but tried not to make her gaze known. The smirk fell immediately. Katara smiled inwardly, she had won this time.

The gang started to walk back, and Katara needed to talk to Zuko. She needed to make it clear, just as she had made it clear to Aang, that she wasn't interested in a romantic relationship in the middle of a war. She paused, or was it the end of a war? Katara shook her head to clear out this thought, it didn't matter: they were still at war.

"We'll catch up to you later, guys. I just want to practice a little with Zuko," Katara said to them. They all accepted this, all except for Aang. He was suspicious, but turned away, ignoring her once more. Zuko stood there acquiescing, understanding that they needed to talk.

Once the group was out of sight they turned to one another. He waited patiently, studying her closely. Katara formed her thoughts in her mind carefully, she knew that if she didn't explain herself with caution this conversation could go awry, like it had with Aang the other night. Of course, that conversation had been impromptu. This conversation had the promise to go a lot better.

"Zuko," Katara started, "I'm sorry for yelling at you that night. It was just your fault, it was mine, too. I shouldn't have just blamed you, and I'm ashamed of that. And about earlier, I'm not looking for any kind of romantic relationship right now. We're in the middle of a war, or hopefully the end if Aang defeats your father."

Zuko flinched when she mentioned his father. She immediately wished she had called him just the Fire Lord. Zuko thought for a moment, and collected himself. His face hardened.

"I understand. Just like you said, you love Aang. And I'm my _father's_ son. I'm the Fire Prince, so you won't have me," Zuko bit out. Each word stung Katara.

"No, Zuko! It has nothing to do with Aang, or your dad, or you being the Fire Prince! I told Aang the very same thing I just told you."

Zuko's emotionless mask slipped, and he smirked again. "So you can't decide, then?"

Katara froze. She thought. Was she decided? Granted, she had spent the last few days comparing the two, but she had always meant to love Aang, hadn't she? And anyway, did she even love Aang? If she didn't, couldn't she make herself love Aang? Of course she could! Aang was the Avatar! Every girl wanted him, so why shouldn't she? She should feel very lucky that Aang wanted her of all the girls in the world. He would save the world, and he would do it for her, to be with _her_.

"Thank you for understanding, Zuko," Katara nodded politely, and turned and walked away at a leisurely pace. As she got further and further away it was becoming clear that Zuko wasn't behind her. Then when she finally couldn't see him any longer if she look back to try, she heard the sounds of huge fire blasts. They were ongoing, not stopping to put it in a steady rhythm, just aimless.

...

"I have a surprise for everyone!" Katara called out to everyone, they were eating dinner. Aang looked like he was thinking about something and Zuko looked a little frustrated with her. She thought a cute baby picture would loosen everyone up!

"I knew it! You _did_ have a secret thing with Haru!" Toph exclaimed happily. Toph's comment caught Sokka, Suki, and Zuko's attention immediately.

"Uh…no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic, and I found…" Katara unrolled the parchment, "this! Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute?" she cooed. Everybody chuckled but Zuko, he looked pensive. "Lighten up, I'm just teasing."

"That's not me. It's my _father_." Zuko hung on the last word, glaring at Katara.

"But he looks so sweet and innocent," Suki pointed out.

"Well that little kid grew up to be a monster. And the worst father in the history of fathers."

Suddenly Aang spoke up and reminded them all that he still sat there. "But he's still a human being."

Zuko couldn't believe what the Avatar had said, "You're going to defend him?"

"No! I agree with you, Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person and the world would probably be better off without him. There's gotta be another way."

"Like what?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know…Maybe we can make some big pots of glue! And then we can use glue bending to stick his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore!" Aang rushed out, excited about this new and non-lethal plan to use against the Fire Lord. Of course they all knew that it was nonsense, he had to kill him. There just wasn't another way.

"Yeah!" Zuko agreed, sarcasm dripping from his words. "And then you can show him his baby pictures and all those happy memories will make him good again!" The four of them chuckled behind Zuko. Aang's eyes just lit up, thinking of the great addition to the nonsense plan.

"Do you really think that would work?" Aang asked Zuko excitedly.

"No!" The giggles abruptly stopped at this. Aang sighed, defeated.

"This goes against _everything _I learned from the Monks. I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like!" Aang paced before them.

"Sure you can! You're the Avatar!" Sokka exclaimed. "If it's in the name of keeping balance, I'm pretty sure the universe will forgive you." Aang started shaking in what Katara thought to be either frustration or anger, or maybe a little of both.

He turned around angrily. "This isn't a joke, Sokka! None of you understands the position I'm in!"

"Aang, we do understand. It's just -" Katara tried, but Aang cut her off.

"It's just _what_, Katara? What?"

"We're trying to help!" Katara yelled back at him.

"Then when you figure out a way for me to defeat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I'd love to hear it!" Aang threw his arms up in frustration and anger and stomped off.

_He's running away again,_ Katara thought.

"Aang, don't walk away from this!" Katara started after him but a hand on her shoulder held her back.

"Let him go." Katara knew this had double meaning. But for a moment she could get past his bare skin touching hers, even though it was only his hand touching her shoulder. Zuko pulled her up and towards him. "He needs time to sort it out by himself." When he said this Katara thought that once upon a time Zuko himself might have run away from some things. Maybe he knew from firsthand experience. In fact, she intuitively knew he did. She accepted his words and stayed where she was.

Toph got up to go to bed not long after that, saying that 'It'll take Twinkletoes all night to figure something out. I'm going to bed.' The rest of the group agreed with her and followed soon after. They would need their rest in the following days.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning everybody started packing soon after breakfast. They needed to be on their way. Not fifteen minutes later and it was all done.

"Okay, that's everything!" Sokka said from Appa's saddle.

"No it's not," Toph spoke up. They all turned to her to hear what was missing. "Where's Aang?" Looks of surprise immediately jumped up on the group's faces and they looked around at each other, embarrassed that they had forgotten the most important member of the gang.

They ran inside to see if he was there. Zuko called out his name in question. Nobody answered.

"Come on, lazy bones, let's go!" Toph called. They all split and ran in different directions to look for Aang. Suki, Sokka, and Katara found Aang's staff leaned against the railing on a balcony overlooking the ocean. It had been where he was meditating last night.

"He left his staff," Sokka made the obvious observation. "That's so strange…"

Zuko and Toph walked onto the balcony together. "Aang's not in the house," Zuko reported. "Let's check the beach."

Sokka led them out to the beach, where they found footprints leading to the water.

"Look! There's his footprints. The trail ends here," Sokka indicated towards the waves lapping at the sand.

Suki tried to come to a conclusion. "Soo…he went for a midnight swim and never came back?"

"Maybe he was captured," Katara said with concern. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before, and she thought it more plausible than just going for a midnight swim and not coming back. Especially if he left his staff.

"I don't think so, there's no sign of a struggle," Sokka said. He crouched down to get a closer look at the trail to make sure. Toph knelt down beside him.

"I bet he ran away again," she said.

"Uh-uh," Sokka disagreed again, "he left behind his glider and Appa."

"Then what do _you_ think happened to him, oh Sleuthy One?" Toph asked.

Sokka stood up to enlighten them all. "It's pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey!"

Then Zuko proceeded to disprove her brother. "If he was, wouldn't his body still be here?"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that."

"He's gotta be somewhere on Ember Island. Let's split up and look for him," Katara suggested.

Toph jumped up and latched herself onto Zuko's arm. Zuko blushed furiously. "I'm going with Zuko!" Everybody was silent, not sure how to react to this. "What? Everybody else went on a life changing field trip with Zuko, now it's my turn!" She hugged herself closer to him, but Zuko leaned away, still blushing.

Toph dragged Zuko off.

"I'll fly on Appa, you two girls go together," Sokka ordered. Katara rolled her eyes, but she didn't mind at all! She really liked talking to Suki, she was very nice. They were turning out to be pretty good friends. The two walked into town. Eventually they heard chanting. As they got closer they could hear what the people were saying.

_Aang, Aang, Aang, Aang, Aang! _

The girls pushed through the crowd only to find the two actors who had played Toph and Aang in _Boy in the Iceberg_. Toph's actor was holding up Aang's actress.

"Avatar State, yip yip!" the woman squeaked. The crowd cheered. Suki and Katara groaned.

They walked through the rest of the town but didn't find anything else. Aang didn't seem to even be on the island! Where was he? They had to leave soon, and he knew that, he couldn't just hold them up! If he didn't come back soon she knew they would have to leave without him and hope that he found them.

"Oh Suki, I wonder where he could be! We're running out of time!" Katara exclaimed aloud.

"Does he do this often? Toph said 'I bet he ran off _again_'" Suki asked.

She hated to admit it, but Aang ran off before nearly every big battle. "Yes," Katara admitted reluctantly, "It's kind of his time to think."

Suki and Katara made it back to the house where Zuko and Toph were already waiting on the steps. They sat down and waited for Sokka to return.

A couple of minutes later they heard Appa groan and looked up to see Sokka heading towards them. As soon as Appa landed Sokka jumped off.

"Judging by the looks on your faces I'm guessing you guys didn't find Aang either," Sokka guessed correctly.

"No. It's like he just…disappeared," Zuko said, hanging his head.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Toph exclaimed, sitting upright and crossing her arms. "Has anyone noticed that Momo's missing, too?"

Sokka turned around, "Oh no! I knew it was only a matter of time! Appa ATE _MOMO!_ Momo, I'm comin' for ya buddy!" As he finished saying all this Sokka was already climbing into Appa's mouth, no doubt intending to find the winged lemur.

"Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang," Katara offered.

"That's just what Appa wants you to think," Sokka said as he climbed all the way in to Appa's mouth.

"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka!" Zuko said angrily. Katara stayed silent but agreed, he was just wasting time they could use to come up with a plan. "We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the Comet is only two days away." Everybody but Sokka, who was currently being spit out, had turned to Zuko.

"What should we do, Zuko?" Katara asked him.

Zuko stood up, "I don't know." They still looked at him. "Why are you all looking at me?"

"Well, you are kind of the expert on tracking Aang," Katara explained.

"Yeah, if anyone's got experience hunting the Avatar, it's you," Toph said backing her up.

"Alright then, everybody on Appa," Zuko ordered. Toph hopped up onto the saddle while Suki and Katara helped Sokka up. Zuko took Aang's place to steer Appa.

They flew for a couple of minutes. The sky looked a little foreboding to Katara, there was dark clouds everywhere. She didn't know exactly where they were headed, they were still over the ocean.

"Zuko, I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but, why are we headed towards the Earth Kingdom?" Sokka asked. Of course her brother knew where they were headed, he was usually the map guy. "There's no way Aang's there."

"Just trust me."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

After flying for nearly the entire day Zuko finally landed Appa in a forest in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko had landed them outside of what looked to be a…tavern of some sort.

"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?" Katara asked as Zuko led them in.

"Jun," Zuko said simply, pointing at a dark haired woman dressed primarily in brown. Jun starting fighting with some men.

"Oh yeah, that weird bounty hunter with the giant mole!" Sokka said, recognizing her.

Now that Sokka mentioned it, Katara did remember her.

"Mole? Her skin is flawless," Suki said.

"No she has this giant mole creature she rides around on."

"The Shirshu. It's the only animal that can track any scent anywhere in the world," Zuko said. He turned to Katara, "The one shot we have of finding Aang."

They turned to watch Jun finish the fight. She had thrown up her tea, finished off the guys, and then caught it without spilling a drop.

"I don't know who this Jun lady is, but I like her!" Toph pronounced.

"Hey, I remember her, she helped you attack us!" Sokka exclaimed angrily.

Zuko couldn't deny it. "Yup, the good old days." Zuko walked forward to Jun and the group followed.

"Oh great, it's Prince Pouty," Jun

complained. "Where's your creepy grandpa?"

"He's my uncle. And he's not here," Zuko's head fell slightly at that last part.

"I see you've worked things out with your girlfriend," Jun continued. It took Katara a moment to figure out Jun was talking about Zuko and herself.

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh. I was only teasing. So what do you want?"

"I need your help finding the Avatar," Zuko told her.

"Doesn't sound too fun," Jun said and lifted her cup to her mouth.

Zuko collected himself for a moment but it didn't appear to work. "Does the end of the world sound like more fun?" He leaned down over her and balled his fists in anger.

"Fine, come on," Jun said and led them back outside. Appa and the Shirshu were growling at each other.

"Nyla," Jun called at her Shirshu. Jun waved a raw slab of meat at her and threw it up so Nyla could catch it and eat it. Nyla chomped on the meat for a moment. Jun walked over to her and pet her. "Who's my little Snuffly Wuffly? Woah!" Jun exclaimed and jumped back from Nyla's mouth. Nyla was shooting her tongue out, and Katara remembered how her tongue paralyzed.

"Careful there," Jun said clamping Nyla's mouth shut. "Okay, so who has something with the Avatar's scent on it?"

Katara had already been climbing up onto Appa to get Aang's staff. "I have Aang's staff," she offered. She handed it to Jun after hopping down from Appa's back. Jun held it up to Nyla to sniff. Nyla started walking around, trying to catch the Avatar's scent. All six of them turned in circles watching the beast as she sniffed around. Then Nyla laid down in front of then and covered her nose with her front claws.

Zuko crossed his arms, "Well, what does that mean?"

Jun had knelt down next to her animal and started to pet her again. "Means your friends gone."

"We _know_ he's gone, that's why we're trying to _find_ him," Toph said.

Jun stood up. "No, I mean he's gone gone. He doesn't exist."

Sokka immediately voiced the thought in all of their heads. "What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's - you know…dead?"

"Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Huh, that's a real head scratcher, see ya." Jun turned to leave and got on Nyla.

"Helpful, real helpful," Toph said to no one in particular. Zuko obviously thought it was him, as he stepped up.

"Wait, I have another idea. There's only one other person in this world that can help us defeat the Fire Lord," Zuko said. Katara noticed how he refrained from using the term 'father'. "I'll be right back with a smell sample," he told Jun.

Zuko ran off to dig through his things. He came back a minute later with a reeking sandal. Everybody held their noses, with the exception of Toph and Zuko.

"You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka asked.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Toph put in. Nyla lunged forward to smell the sandal.

"Let's do this," Jun said from atop her Shirshu. Nyla started bounding away, already following the scent.

"Hey! Wait up!" Zuko called. The group ran to get on Appa and catch up to Jun and Nyla. Appa flew fast to catch up with Nyla, and then to keep up with her. They flew for the rest of the night, and into the morning. Katara was beginning to wonder how long this would take. They had a limited amount of time until the Comet arrived.

"Are you sure about this?" Katara asked Zuko. Suki and Sokka were whispering to each other, and Toph was hanging over the side of the saddle wishing to be on the ground already. Katara was sitting at the front of the saddle, so she could talk to Zuko.

"I'm sure that he's the only one who can help us," he said. His voice had taken on that hard edge it had when Zuko had been hunting them. Katara didn't like it, something was wrong, but she didn't want to press the issue.

"Okay," she said submissively. He was, after all, the expert.

They flew all day and into the beginning of the night. Katara was starting to find some of the most recent landscape slightly familiar. As they got closer she recognized that they were nearing Ba Sing Se.

"We're going to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked Jun, just as surprised as Katara was. Nyla had stopped and started to claw against the rock. Appa landed behind her.

"You're Uncle's somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far. Good luck," Jun said and then Nyla ran off. Zuko watched her go for a moment, before turning back to the matter at hand.

"It's been a long day, let's make camp and start our search again at dawn," he told the group. They all readily agreed, they were exhausted!

They all just piled on Appa. All except for Toph of course, she made herself an earth tent. They all fell asleep in moments.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Sometime in the middle of the night Katara was woken up by the sound of earth bending. She shot up, and so did the others. Moments later a ring of fire encircled them.

Four men appeared at the top of a rock pile, outside of the ring of fire they were trapped in. Katara didn't recognize them at first, but after taking a second look she realized she had met all of them! It was Sokka's sword master, Jeong Jeong the fire master, Master Pakku, and King Bumi!

"Well, look who's here!" Bumi cackled and snorted. Jeong Jeong promptly waved off the fire. The four masters stepped forward.

"What's going on?" Toph asked. "We're surrounded by old people!"

"Not just any old people! These are great masters and friends of ours!" Katara explained, stepping forward. "Pakku," Katara bowed.

"It is respectful to bow to an old master…but how about a hug, for your new grandfather?" Pakku asked.

Katara was silent in surprise for a moment, but got over it. "That's so exciting!" She could hear Sokka screeching behind her. "You and Gran Gran must have been so happy to have found each other again!" Katara said, hugging him and then taking his hands.

"I made her a new betrothal necklace, and everything!" Pakku said. Sokka smacked into Pakku a second later and hugged him tightly around his neck, so it was more of a strangle. Pakku didn't look happy.

"Welcome to the family, Gramp Gramp!" Sokka exclaimed with a grin.

Pakku pushed her brother off of him, "You can still just call me Pakku."

"How about…Gramp Pakku!" Sokka tried excitedly.

"No."

Katara turned around to introduce Zuko and Toph to the rest of the men. Zuko had a soft smile looking at the three family members.

Katara motioned to Jeong Jeong, "And this was Aang's first fire bending teacher." Zuko stepped forward to meet him.

"Jeong Jeong," he said.

"Master Piando," Sokka bowed to his sword master.

"So wait," Suki said, "How do you all know each other?" she asked the four masters. The thought hadn't occurred to Katara, she was so excited to see some of the friends they had made that she hadn't thought to how they all knew each other.

"All old people know each other, don't you know that?" Bumi said, and laughed again.

"We're all part of the same ancient secret society, a group that transcends the divisions of the four nations," Master Piando explained.

"The Order of the White Lotus," Zuko said.

"That's the one!" Bumi said.

"The Order of the White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty, and truth. But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important," Jeong Jeong explained.

"It came from a Grand Lotus, your uncle Iroh of the Fire Nation," Master Pakku said. Katara saw Zuko give a slight smile.

"That's who we're looking for!" Toph said.

"Then we'll take you to him -" Master Piando was cut off by King Bumi pushing them out of the way.

"Wait! Someone's missing from your group, someone very important…Where's Momo?" Bumi asked. He was staring down Sokka, only extremely close.

"He's gone," Sokka answered. "And so is Aang."

"Oh well, as long as they have each other I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. Let's go!" Bumi said and earth bended and jumped of the pillar he had made, cackling and snorting.

The others climbed over the rocks and caught up with Bumi.

"So Bumi, how did you end up escaping your imprisonment in Omashu?" Sokka asked.

"Escape? I didn't escape. Everybody _else_ escaped. There I was waiting for the right moment. I didn't know what or when. But I knew I would know it when I knew it!" Bumi explained. He told them how he had taken back Omashu single handedly the day of the eclipse.

"Wow!" Suki exclaimed in wonder, "You took back your whole city all by yourself!"

"So what about you guys, did you do anything interesting the day of the eclipse?" Bumi asked. Katara let the two boys answer.

Zuko and Sokka looked at each other.

"Nah."

"Not really."

As they said this Katara could finally see the camp that they were headed to. They walked down the final hill and then Bumi shifted a rock so they could enter.

"Well, here we are: Old People Camp."

"Where…where is he?" Zuko asked. Katara heard this and heard how he was sounding like a young boy. It was such a change from the hard-edged Prince that had chased them, and the new Zuko that had befriended them.

"Your uncle's in there Prince Zuko," Master Piando said pointing to the largest tent at the back of the camp. Katara watched him walk towards it but stop when he neared the entrance. He sat in front of it.

Katara walked over, "Are you okay?"

He turned his head away from her, "No, I'm not okay. My uncle hates me, I know it." Katara knelt next to him. "He loved me and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?"

"Zuko, you're sorry for what you did, right?" Katara asked.

"More sorry than I've been about anything I've ever done in my entire life," Zuko agreed. Katara felt tears welling up at how much Zuko loved his uncle. He was like a father to him, she guessed.

"Then he'll forgive you. He will." Zuko nodded and stood up. He paused at the curtains that marked the entrance once more, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. Katara walked off towards Appa, tearfully happy knowing that she had helped in the smallest way. She was too tired to get out her sleeping bag and set it up, so just fell asleep on Appa once more.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

No more than three hours later Katara was woken up by the sounds of quiet talking. She opened her eyes to see the sun was up. Where was she? She thought for a minute, and then remembered the night before. They were at a camp of White Lotus members. And it was the day of the Comet! She quickly got her brother and Toph up. Suki wasn't there, so she guessed she had already gotten up and let them sleep. Zuko wasn't there either, but she guessed he was in his uncle's tent.

She dragged Sokka with her to the center of the camp, with Toph dragging her feet behind them. Katara spotted Iroh and Zuko sitting and talking, and headed towards them. Suki was also sitting with them and eating. When they sat down somebody handed them breakfast.

"Uncle, you're the only one besides the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord," Zuko continued his conversation with his uncle from earlier.

"You mean the Fire Lord," Toph corrected.

"That's what I just said!" Iroh sighed in thought. "We need you to come with us!"

"No Zuko, it won't turn out well," Iroh told him.

"You can beat him! And we'll be there to help," Zuko explained.

"But if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know if I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History will se it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to gain power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord," Iroh explained.

"And then-then would you come take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asked tentatively.

"No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor," as Iroh spoke he looked at Zuko and Katara knew that he was talking about him. "It has to be _you_ Prince Zuko."

"Unquestionable honor?" Zuko questioned. "But I've made so many mistakes."

"Yes, you have. You've struggled, you've suffered. But you have always followed your own path. You have restored your _own_ honor. Only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation." Katara felt tears stinging, but kept them at bay. She had never thought about what would happen after the war ended, and what Iroh had said about Zuko was true. He had found himself in the years he had been banished, and he'd ended up on the right side all on his own.

"I'll try, Uncle," Zuko conceded.

"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked, voicing the question everyone was thinking but no one wanted to be made real.

"Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord," Zuko's uncle answered. "When I was a boy I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it _back_ from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free, again."

Suki came to a correct conclusion, for once, "That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus."

"Yes. Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls you can assume the throne and bring peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you," Iroh explained.

Zuko hardened, "I can handle Azula."

"Not alone," Iroh said, surprising everyone. "You'll need help."

"You're right," Zuko conceded. "Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?" he offered.

"It would be my pleasure," Katara replied. She was happy, she would get to fight alongside Zuko today. She knew they worked well together.

"So what about us? What's our destiny going to be today?" Sokka asked.

"What do you think it is?" Iroh asked him.

"I think that even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet," Sokka replied.

"And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us," Toph said pounding her fist. Iroh nodded in agreement. They finished their breakfast quickly so they could be on their way. After all, there wasn't any time to waste today.

Zuko and Katara went to make sure everything was loaded up on Appa, as that was how they'd be getting to the Fire Nation to face Azula. Sokka, Toph, and Suki were given a giant Eel-hound to get to the airships.

Katara climbed into the saddle and Zuko climbed up to the reins.

"So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over…what are you going to do?" Zuko asked his uncle.

"After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to re-conquer my tea shop. And I'm going to play Pai Sho every day!" Iroh answered cheerily.

Then the split group looked at one another. One part of the group on an Eel-hound, the other on the Bison they had spent almost a year traveling up and down the globe on. Katara looked especially to her brother, hoping with all her heart that she would see him again. He nodded, and she knew it was time to go.

"Goodbye General Iroh," Katara said politely.

"Goodbye everyone. Today destiny is our friend, _I know it_." The Eel-hound shot off and Appa groaned and lifted off of the ground.

For a long time they didn't talk, both lost in their own thought. Katara thought about what would happen to her when the war was over. She guessed she would just go back to the South Pole to live with her tribe. For some reason that thought didn't seem so appealing anymore. Sure, she missed the people who lived there and wanted to see them, but she didn't want to live there anymore.

She thought about Aang and how she would be with him after he ended the war. The Avatar was in love with her, the boy who saved the world. Or would soon. But strangely, she didn't particularly enjoy this thought either. But why? Wasn't Aang good enough for her? Of course he was! He was the best there could ever _be_! She couldn't have chosen someone better, because he was the Avatar and there _wasn't_ anyone better. Plus he was nice, friendly, and a great dancer.

As Katara thought about this the sky was getting steadily darker, and it was only mid-morning.

"Zuko, it's getting dark," she stated.

"Yes, Sozin's Comet is nearly here," he replied. He was silent after that so she guessed he had been enveloped back into his thoughts. After a while the sky started to slowly take on a shade of red-orange.

Katara climbed off the front of the saddle and sat next to Zuko. There was really no reason that she should sit in the saddle, anyway.

"Katara, I need you to know, if I don't make it-"

"Zuko, don't worry, we can take Azula," she told him. It seemed like Zuko rethought what he had been about to say.

"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about Aang. What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father?" She was sorry she had cut him off now, she wondered what he'd been going to say to her. "What if he loses?" Zuko asked.

"Aang won't lose. He's gonna come back," Katara stated with conviction. She softened then, "He has to." It was just like General Iroh said, only the Avatar could defeat Fire Lord Ozai, it was the only way to end the war completely. Zuko accepted this answer and they kept flying under the red skies in silence.

Eventually Katara tentatively leaned against the Fire Prince. She could immediately feel him stiffen. But still, he didn't say anything. The reason she had leaned against him was that she was beginning to feel tired. She hadn't had much sleep the past two days, but she'd been so preoccupied with finding Aang that her brain hadn't recognized how tired her body really was.

So when Katara leaned against Zuko she didn't think of the implication it might bring, or what Zuko might think because of it.

Katara looked at the red sky, and wondered at how one comet could make the whole sky look like this. "The sky is bleeding Zuko, isn't it odd?" she asked him, voicing her thoughts.

"No, we've been expecting the Comet." Zuko turned to look at her and smirked, "Tired?"

Katara yawned and nodded, and slumped down a little further. She closed her eyes longer, but tried to stay awake.

"Katara, about what I said before. I do need to tell you something, just in case I don't make it," he said slowly, pushing out each word with an undertone of caution.

"What is it?" Katara asked, sitting up to properly listen.

"It's just this. That night in the tent, I _wish_ it had meant something to you, because I wanted it to mean something, too," Zuko said. Katara watched him, and Zuko stared back. He seemed to have stopped breathing waiting for her to answer.

"I know. I'm sorry for confusing us both, but I love Aang. Just like I told you that night," Katara replied.

"I thought you said you weren't going to be with anyone, because of the war," he said.

"Zuko, if you hadn't noticed: the war is going to end today. One way or another, it will end. Sozin's Comet is here, and if Aang defeats the Fire Lord I will be with him. If Aang doesn't defeat him then he'll surely be…" Katara paused at this, she had never truly come to realize what losing the war would mean for Aang. She sucked in a breath, "Gone."

"I see. So you -" Zuko caught himself before he could say more, and relapsed into silence.

"No, tell me. We've got to work this out, I want to be friends after all of this is over," Katara pleaded.

"Fine. So you never thought about me in a romantic way? Never compared me to your precious Aang? Have you not seen your relationship with him? You're like a mother to him! You cook for him, do his laundry, scold him when he does something wrong, praise him when he does something well! It's _sick_ to think that he wants to _be _with you in more than just a friendly relationship! He wants to kiss you, wants to make you feel _good_," Zuko paused to see Katara's blush, but then pressed on. "But he doesn't know _how_. He's just a kid! Yes, he has to save the world, but that doesn't make him older than he is!"

"Zuko! Yes it does! He hurts so much! He hates to think he'll have to take a life! This war has aged him!" Katara protested angrily.

"It's aged us all. But after this war is over, and like you said it will be over one way or another by tomorrow, he will go back to being that carefree kid that he never wanted to stop being!" Zuko finished yelling and turned to see Katara's reaction.

Katara was flustered. She thought about what he had said, and could only think of one thing to say, "He'll grow up."

Zuko gave a cold laugh, "And how long will that take? He'll want to do everything, go everywhere. Make up for those missing hundred years, will you follow him around while he has his fun and you wait for him to _grow up_?"

"I don't have to wait for him to grow up! I'm fine with who he is now! And why do you care anyway?" Katara cried.

"Because I wanted to be the one you chose!" Zuko yelled.

Katara couldn't think of a reply. This was insane, completely and utterly crazy. She thought back a couple of days ago to when she was comparing the two boys. "I did compare you to Aang," Katara told him numbly.

"What?" Zuko asked in disbelief.

"I compared you to Aang. When you were teaching him. I couldn't help myself," Katara said.

Zuko dropped the reins and gathered Katara in his arms. She let herself be pulled to him, just because she was curious what he would do now. Zuko's amber eyes were turned red in the Comet's light, and his hair was tugged by the wind. Behind him the red sky flew by. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck, and Zuko slowly leaned in. Finally their lips touched, and they just pressed them together for a moment and then drew apart.

"I think I could love you," Zuko whispered.

"I think I could love you, too," Katara replied softly.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'd just like you people to know, that this is going to be a slow-going story. Even if it doesn't seem like it now, because of how the last chapter ended. It was just end of the world craziness being spewed, they were thinking that Zuko might die, Katara might die, Aang might die…and so on. **

They were interrupted by a voice calling out. Zuko pushed Katara back into the saddle and they became quiet to listen to what was being said.

"Be decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord -" the sage was saying, right up until he spotted Appa flying over the palace. Azula was kneeling, waiting to be crowned Fire Lord. She was already dressed for the part.

Katara saw Azula turn to the sage and say something, presumably something about finishing crowning her. Appa groaned as he neared the ground, and landed. Zuko stood up and Katara kneeled at the front of the saddle.

"Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today," Zuko said and jumped off the bison's head. "I am."

Azula laughed, still kneeling. "You're hilarious."

Katara quickly jumped out of the saddle and down off of Appa. She stood at Zuko's side. "And you're going down."

The fire sage made to put the crown on Azula's head to make her Fire Lord, but she waved him off. "Wait," she commanded him. "You want to be Fire Lord? Fine! Let's settle this, just you and me, brother! The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!"

Katara's face hardened, and she felt sorry for Azula inwardly. She wouldn't be able to take them both at the same time, and Zuko would never -

"You're on," Zuko growled. Katara turned to him, astonished.

"What are you doing?" Katara whispered. "She's playing you. She knows that she can't take us both so she's trying to separate us." Katara frowned and pulled her eyebrows together in confusion.

"I know, but I can take her this time." Zuko didn't break his glare towards Azula.

"Even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula," Katara reminded him. That's why she was here with him, after all.

"There's something off about her. I can't explain it but she's slipping," he explained. He turned to her, "And this way, no one else has to get hurt." Katara gave him a brisk nod, he needed to do this. And he was right, there _was_ something off about her, but Katara couldn't pinpoint it either.

Zuko grabbed her hand and led her down the street in front of the palace. Finally he stopped at least a hundred feet from Azula.

"Stay here. She's not going to keep her fire small, or controlled for that matter. And remember, don't interfere. It can only be Azula and I," he reminded her. He hesitated, and began his turn to leave. But he stopped himself and stepped closer. "Be safe," Zuko whispered. He gathered her in his arms again and held her for a moment, but then let go. She nodded to signal that she understood, and he turned and walked forward.

Azula turned to kneel towards the steps, and Zuko turned to kneel towards her. But he looked towards the ground, not to where she was.

Zuko stood, and a second later Azula followed. They both turned. Katara's heart sped up in anticipation and nervousness.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way, _brother_," Azula said while dropping her cloak to the ground.

Zuko shifted into a fighting position. "No you're not."

Azula leered at her brother a little longer, and then stepped into her own pose. She promptly twirled and let out a huge blast of blue fire. Zuko matched hers with his own, kicking his feet out. The two huge blasts collided in the middle, neither one winning or advancing. Azula leaped and twirled forward, blue fire coming in huge waves every time she waved a hand or moved a foot. She had an insane grin on her face, lit up in the bright blue she was creating.

The Agni Kai went on. Neither one had the upper hand, they were at a dead lock. Orange fire exploded against blue fire, creating huge puffs of each color in the sky. The palace was set on fire. When Azula saw this, she rushed forward and sent a huge ball of fire at Zuko. He separated it easily. Azula was kneeling on the ground, and from where Katara was she couldn't see exactly what she was doing, but she guessed that Azula was getting a little out of breath.

Zuko sent another huge blast of fire at her in that vulnerable position. Azula didn't retaliate, but just evaded. She jumped out of the way, the fire nearly hitting her. She ran forward to cover, fueled be her fire. Zuko jumped up and split the fire again. Azula rode in circles around him, creating a ring of fire that followed her. She pumped burst after burst on him. Eventually her brother sent her reeling backwards with huge discs directed at her. Her hair had been completely undone, and she looked really angry.

"No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko taunted his sister. Katara ran forward a little at this. His plan honestly scared her, she was afraid he wouldn't be able to do it.

"Oh, I'll show you _lightning!_" Azula cried. She began the motions, and the air crackled around her. Blue tendrils swirled and snapped around her, and Zuko got ready to send her own lightning right back to her. Katara saw a small smile flit across the woman's face, and then she saw lightning headed directly towards her.

Katara was rooted in place. Zuko ran towards it. "No!" she heard him yell as the lightning hit him. He didn't have time to direct the electricity through his body, and so it settled upon his heart. Zuko dropped from the air and curled in on himself. Some of the blue tendrils still zipped about him for a minute, and then he groaned and laid flat on his back.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, and started to run towards him. She only got a few steps before another shot of lightning was there at her feet. She ran and heard maniacal laughing coming from Azula. It stopped suddenly and Katara turned.

She couldn't see Azula anywhere. She looked to where Zuko lay. He groaned and tried to get up. Katara gasped and ran to him, he wasn't dead!

But once again she was stopped, only this time it was fire. Azula's manic laughing was back, and she jumped off the roof towards her. Katara ran from the crazy woman.

Azula jumped onto another roof and started whipping lightning around her once more. She said something about 'Zuzu' and ended with 'if you don't mind'. Katara didn't really care what she _said_, she cared more about how to evade the lightning that was going to come her way any second now. It came towards her and Katara just blocked it with water. Then she ran and covered her head behind a column, knowing it wouldn't provide protection for more than a couple of blasts.

Still on the rooftop, she called down to Zuko. "Zuzu, you don't look so good!" Lightning was promptly shot at Katara once more, and so she ran to a different column. She bent the water from the nearby fountain to the place that Azula had been standing a minute before, only to find she was no longer there, but behind her.

Katara ran and rode the ice she bent while Azula melted it behind her. Eventually she fell underneath the overhang. Then Katara recognized what she had fallen on top of. A sewer, and in front of her was a chain, it was perfect! A plan quickly formulated in the young water bender's mind. All she had to do was get Azula to stand on top of it.

Azula rounded the corner, "There you are filthy peasant!" Azula slowly walked towards her, and Katara just stood and waited. Just as Azula was going to shoot lightning at her she cut her off with multiple water whips. When the woman tried again Katara summoned the water from below her and encased both of them in ice.

Azula looked around, only her eyes being able to move, and her lips still turned down in a scowl. Katara blew out through her nose to make herself able to move in the ice. She captured Azula's wrists in the chain and tied it onto the grate. Katara let the water go and the two girls knelt and choked and coughed. But Katara only needed a minute, and got up. She made sure the chains were fastened correctly and tight enough.

As soon as she made sure Azula would not follow her she ran to where Zuko lay, unmoving. As she ran, she worried. But as Katara neared him she heard his small grunts of pain, and she breathed a small sigh of relief that he was still alive. She fell onto her knees next to him and turned him over to look at where the lightning had struck. She bent the water from her pouch over the angry red starburst that would most definitely be a scar. The water glowed blue, and Katara looked at Zuko's face. As the healing started to work she saw him relax, and she grinned. He would be okay!

"Thank you, Katara," Zuko managed, the words barely making it from his lips. Tears stung her eyes and spilt over.

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," Katara replied. She smiled and helped him into a sitting position, and then finally pulled him up with her. He still had to lean on her for support, but at least he could stand.

Azula breathed fire and thrashed around, tears of frustration spilling out of her eyes. She screamed and thrashed some more, until she lay crying on the grate Katara had chained her to. Zuko watched his sister, his eyes devoid of any love or compassion for her. Katara felt sorry for the siblings, and turned her eyes to Zuko instead.

"Zuko, what should we…you know…do with her?" Katara asked him. Zuko was standing up straight on his own now, clutching his waist with his right hand.

"We'll deal with it later," Zuko replied. "Sages! Take Azula to a cell, it must be of the highest security. Once you lock her up no one is to speak with her. I'll deal with you later, if you do," he told the fire sages. They bowed obediently and started the long and probably grueling task of locking up Azula.

"We should get you to a bed," Katara suggested as his stance faltered. "You need to rest, the wound isn't completely healed."

"First I need to ask you something," Zuko told her. "When you said that you thought you could love me, that wasn't just because we might die, was it?"

His question took Katara by surprise. Of all the things he could be thinking about, he was thinking about her. He wasn't worrying about his uncle and the Order of the White Lotus, and wondering if they had successfully taken back Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation. He hadn't thought of Sokka, Suki, and Toph and hoping that they were okay and that they had taken down the airship fleet. He wasn't even nervous or scared to know how the battle between Aang and the Fire Lord had ended. The crown prince of the Fire Nation wanted to know if a Southern Water Tribe peasant might be able to love him.

Katara was thinking all of these things at once, and she couldn't very well sort through them at a time like this. So much needed to be done, and insured, and precautions needed to be taken. Zuko was taking over his own nation by force, and the people weren't going to like it at all.

"Well…yes, I guess. Or wait, no? What I mean to say is that I think I could love you. I think. Zuko, just give me some time, right now isn't the best time to be figuring this out. Can we talk about this after your coronation? We can go to your uncle's tea shop where everything is quiet, and then we'll see. Okay?" Katara offered.

Zuko nodded stiffly. "Come with me, I'll show you where my room is. Will you guard the door? It won't be safe. Wake me if Aang and the others get here," he said.

"_When_ Aang and the others get here, I will wake you up," Katara agreed.

The two started walking towards Zuko's old bedchamber. It seemed to be a pretty long walk, and a quarter of the way through it Zuko started to sag. Katara quickly stepped closer to offer herself to lean on. They wrapped their arms around each others shoulders, and, having a secure hold on one another, they started walking towards his room once more.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The next day Katara woke up on a huge bed. She was lying atop black silk sheets and she had kicked off the red and gold silk sheets that topped it. She sat up and stretched, yawning in the process. But when she turned she saw Zuko sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Zuko? What am I doing in your bed?" she asked warily. Katara began to get off the bed.

"You fell asleep against the door, and it didn't look very comfortable," Zuko shrugged with his back to her, so she couldn't see him frown.

"Oh."

Katara scooted over to where Zuko was sitting. They stayed silent for a couple of minutes, both just waking up. Zuko had slept past dawn, which was unusual for a fire bender. But Katara knew he had needed the rest.

Zuko sighed. "What's wrong?" Katara asked.

"It's not going to heal quickly, is it?" Zuko asked and indicated the scarring tissue on his torso.

"I'm afraid not, lightning wounds don't ever heal fast. Even when I healed Aang's burn with the Spirit Water he needed weeks to recover," Katara told him. It didn't make Zuko feel any better, though.

Yesterday they had told each other what he thought had been impossible, that they could love each other. He hadn't thought himself able to love another, or even think about it. He also never guessed that Katara would even think about loving someone like him. Zuko's nerves were on end, sitting next to her like he was.

Something had awoken in Zuko the night he first kissed Katara. At first he had only thought it was pure lust and desire. He convinced himself for a short while that him wanting the water bender was why he had taken it so harshly that it had not meant more to her. The more he thought about this conclusion, the more ridiculous it became. Why should he care if it didn't mean anything to her if he was only driven by desire, not having it really mean anything for him either? So Zuko had acknowledged that maybe he liked Katara a little bit more than what was expected of a friend.

After making this acknowledgement a whole new world of thinking opened up to him. He saw Katara in new ways, and he honed in on the little details of her. She had a radiant smile, and he saw it often even though he was usually not the one the smile was being directed at. When he did earn her smile, though, it hitched his breath for a few moments before he ordered himself to breathe. Whenever it got too quiet Katara would pull on her loose hair nervously, trying to think of something to say. While she thought she would gather it all together and pile the chocolate brown mass on one shoulder, and then gather it up again and pull it over to the other.

Personally, Zuko liked a comfortable silence. He didn't ever have, or wanted to have, much to say. Zuko also found the idea of a comfortable silence appealing. This was because he felt that good friends, family members, and couples knew each other well enough that sometimes they didn't need to talk. But now, he realized, was not one of those times.

Zuko took in a shaky breath and started. "Katara, we need to talk."

"We are talking…"

"About what we said," Zuko told her.

Katara nervously pulled on her hair, "Oh."

Zuko waited for her to say something, but she just looked at him. He would have to say something.

"I think…I think that we should talk about what we feel for one another here. Not later at Uncle's tea shop," Zuko explained.

Katara bit her lip, "I suppose…"

Zuko let out an exasperated breath. She wasn't making this any easier! He turned to her, but her eyes flitted away from him. Agni, she was making him more nervous!

"Katara, I meant what I said," Zuko paused and added on to the thought, "Actually, I _know_ I could love you."

Katara's hands froze, her mouth dropped open, and she turned to meet his gaze. And still, she just looked at him. Had he imagined what they had said on the way here?

Zuko grabbed the hand that wasn't frozen in her dark locks. He held her small hand between his, so that it wasn't able to be seen anymore.

"Say something," Zuko said softly. Katara pulled his hand from his, and Zuko's heart sped up. What did that mean?

"Zuko, I…I couldn't. I can't."

"What do you mean?" he hissed out. Surely she didn't mean that…

"I can't love you," Katara whispered. The prince's heart stopped. In contrast to the anxiously fast beating that had been there moments before, he felt like some huge boulder had hit him in the chest. "Zuko?" she asked. Her face blurred, and he didn't know if it was from the tears that would come any moment now, or his lack of air. "Zuko? Zuko, breathe," she commanded. She reached out to touch him, but he recoiled. Who was she to touch him now?

Zuko quickly recovered after asking himself that question. He took a quick, sharp breath to fill his lungs steadily once more. His heart started again, beating without the water bender in it now. The tears stopped stinging his eyes, and retreated. He was glad he hadn't shown that particular weakness to the girl, so glad he had caught himself in time.

"I see. Would you mind telling me why you lied to me, then?" Zuko asked coolly.

"I was just…confused. You were there with me, and I didn't know where Aang was. You might have died, and he might have died, and I might have died…I think that I just reacted to the situation," Katara explained.

Just like he had though, what she had said wasn't true. She had just been scared. Even he had been scared, and he had a good reason, too. If Katara hadn't been there he would've died from his own sister's lightning strike.

"I understand. Thank you again for healing me."

"What else would I have done? Watched you die?" Katara exclaimed. "And besides, you still need it wrapped."

Zuko nodded. "Okay, I'll call for the servants. After that I must deal with my father and Azula." The young man's face darkened at his last words.

"Of course," Katara consented. "And you should probably start inviting people."

Zuko frowned. "Inviting people? To what?" he questioned.

"To you're coronation! You've also got to declare the war over and all that," Katara explained.

Zuko sighed, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He would have much to do these first few months, and probably even years. But he knew what he was doing, even if he did not yet have a Fire Lady by his side to support him. Mai flashed into his mind, and he sobered further. He would soon, though, no doubt.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a week since the end of the war. Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki had all arrived the day after Zuko and Azula's Agni Kai. They hands also brought along someone completely unexpected.

Bouncing along on the back of the eel-hound was the still living Fire Lord. Zuko and Katara had taken fighting stances even though Ozai was tied up. Aang had glided towards them and beat the eel-hound explaining that he had taken the man's fire bending away.

Zuko had become a lot more distant since that morning when she had told him that she couldn't love him. The only time she saw him was at meals, and then he wasn't the same friendly guy he had grown to be at the end of their travels. He was colder, and no emotion made it's way into his voice.

The crown prince's eyes, however, told a different story. They were full of hurt, Katara never saw any other emotion in his eyes that whole week. She had offered to help him with Azula, but he refused, saying that it was something he must do alone.

That morning General Iroh and the Order of the White Lotus had arrived with King Kuei. They learned that they had taken back Ba Sing Se and returned it to the Earth Kingdom. Iroh was startled to learn that his younger brother was still alive. Aang explained to all of the newcomers how he had defeated Ozai.

Once Aang had gotten to the Fire Nation palace and spotted Katara he never left her side. He ate meals with her, and tagged along wherever she went. She didn't mind the first couple of days. Aang had saved the world, and she was proud of him. Those first few days when he explained his defeat of the former Fire Lord Katara had stood by him and nearly glowed with pride.

After those days were over, though… It all started when everything had finally settled down a little. They had just gotten their rooms in the palace. But when Aang was assigned his room he protested, saying he wanted to sleep in Katara's room. She had scolded him and told him he needed to sleep in his own room. It seemed like he had relented the, but the next morning she woke up and she tripped over the young monks sleeping form on the floor. She had yelled at his invasion of her privacy, but it had happened every morning.

Right now she was making her way to the dining room for lunch, and Aang closely followed her. Something in Katara snapped, and she flew around.

"Aang! You have to stop following me!" Katara cried out. To Katara's dismay the boy's face contorted to a sad frown. She immediately felt bad for yelling at him.

"I'm sorry, Katara. I was just so worried about you, and I'm so glad you're okay," Aang explained. "I'll stop following you if you want…"

"I didn't mean to yell at you, Aang. It's just been a long week," Katara said as they walked into the dining room. Aang nodded understandingly.

"No kidding, Sweetness," Toph joined in. She, Sokka, and Suki were already there. Sokka had no doubt dragged them in at least ten minutes ago. Sokka and Suki were sitting close and whispering to each other. Toph had her feet propped up on the table and was picking at the dirt under her fingernails. Katara made a face at this.

"Toph, at least take you're your feet off the table, we have to eat on that!" Katara admonished. Toph let out a dramatic sigh in exasperation, which blew her long bangs up for a moment, and took her feet off the table. She crossed her arms and muttered something. "What was that, Toph?"

"Oh, I was just saying how you're such a kill joy. You're worse than Zuko," Toph said. Katara rolled her eyes and blew off the comment. She sat down across from Sokka, and Aang to her right, across from Suki.

The monk took a look at the couple sitting across from him and leaned closer to Katara. She could feel his warm breath on her neck and suppressed the urge to lean away. "You look really pretty today, Katara," Aang whispered.

Katara blushed and mumbled a thanks.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Zuko finally let out the meeting with his new advisors. His uncle groaned and pulled himself up.

"I am too old to sit down listening to planning for so long!" Uncle complained. "And you are too young!"

"I'm not that young, Uncle."

"You are going to turn seventeen soon, my nephew! You are young," his uncle told him. "Speaking of your birthday, shouldn't we start planning for that soon?"

Zuko sighed. "I told you, Uncle, I do not want a party. There's better things to spend that money on," Zuko explained once again to his uncle.

"Alright, alright! Come, let us go to lunch. I am sure the others are waiting for us to arrive," Uncle said.

Zuko nodded and started walking towards the dining room. Iroh tried to start conversations multiple times, but Zuko didn't respond. He had more on his mind than just his upcoming birthday.

He needed to release Mai and Ty Lee from the Boiling Rock as soon as he became Fire Lord. The crown prince was becoming anxious, his coronation was tomorrow. Hundreds of people were still arriving to the city at last minute. In addition to the thousands already there, the city was full to the point of overflowing. Tensions ran high between the people of different nations, the bad blood between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world wouldn't be forgotten quickly. However, inviting people of all nation to the coronation was a good start. That had been Katara's idea, and he was grateful for it.

As he reached the dining room Zuko's eyes sought out the Water Tribe girl. Though she said she could not ever love him, he still looked at her. It hurt, though, because she went everywhere with Aang. Zuko knew that they would begin their real relationship soon, now that the war was over. It was all she had been waiting for.

Today when Zuko stepped into the dining room he saw Aang lean closer to her, and Katara didn't move away. When Aang straightened Katara was blushing at whatever the monk had said. Sadness and a sense of loss washed over Zuko, before he suppressed it. He made sure his features held no tell to what he felt, and then made his way to the head of the table, while his uncle sat to his right.

Meals were the most painful time a day for Zuko. He could not avoid them, not with his uncle there to drag him to them, at least. It was the only time that he could not avoid Katara. It pained the young prince to see Katara sitting so close to the young boy that loved her. It hurt his pride, too, because he had become emotional with her, and she had simply dismissed him.

Zuko looked around at the others in an effort to take his mind off of Katara. Sokka and Suki had become prone to feeding one another, and they were always in their own world. Since Sokka and Katara's father had not yet made it here, no one stopped the couple. Zuko shifted his gaze onto Toph. Today she was just eating quietly, not making any smart remarks or witty jokes. She held her head down so that her long bangs almost hung in her food. Once the earth bender was finished, she got up, throwing her chair down in the process, and stomped off.

Zuko and his uncle shared a worried glance, and Zuko made a mental note to talk to Toph later. Sokka and Suki hadn't noticed Toph's abrupt and angry departure, and neither had Aang. But Katara, of course being the mother figure she was, had noticed. She looked at Aang worriedly but Aang just took her hand and squeezed. Zuko clenched his jaw and ground down on his teeth. After a few more minutes of eating his food slightly faster to get out of there as quick as he could, he excused himself.

Zuko made his way to his old room, where he had slept when he was still a wanted and loved son, but stopped before he opened the door. He hadn't slept in this room since Katara had slept in it, too. He let nobody know this, but instead had taken to sleeping in his mother's old room. It gave him a strange sense of comfort to see that nothing in that room had been disturbed, it was all exactly as it had been when his mother had gone.

He knew that after his coronation tomorrow, he must sleep in the Fire Lord's room. He wasn't looking forward to it, as it had been where his father had slept not so long ago. He had confined both his father and his sister in the extremely well guarded prison at the edge of his city. He had released the Fire Sage that had been thrown into prison earlier that year for helping Aang. Zuko had charged the man with temporarily overlooking all who went in and out of the two cells. Preferably, that would be no one. Zuko planned to make a trip to speak with his father after his coronation the following day, and he was getting anxious.

Zuko sighed, he had never truly let himself speculate about the day he became the Fire Lord. First, all his energies were spent trying to impress his father, then Zuko had spent all of his time hunting down Aang so he could win back his honor, and more importantly try to gain his father's affections. After he realized that was not his destiny, he spent all his thought on how to get to the end of the war, not what would happen if they won. And now, here he was, about to follow in his father's footsteps.

The fire prince let his mind wander to his other friends. He guessed by how inseparable Sokka and Suki were that they would be starting a life together soon, the wedding announcement would probably arrive in a few months. Toph would probably….Toph! He had completely forgotten about her mood at lunch today. Some friend he was. He turned from his mother's old room and started to Toph's room, where he would check for her first.

Zuko knocked on the door, but got no answer from inside. He slowly pushed the door open and peeked in, but the earth bender wasn't there. Zuko silent reprimanded himself, what was he thinking? Toph wasn't one to sit alone in her room and sulk, she would be taking her anger out at something. Suddenly, Zuko feared for his palace and almost ran towards his practice area.

He was relieved to find Toph smashing things there, and not his palace. She was standing atop a huge rock pillar and commanding her element from it. He knew that she wouldn't be able to hear him from all the way up there, and the sound of the earth shaking and rocks crashing together was too loud, anyway. Zuko stood back a safe distance and waited for Toph to lower herself down, or notice that he was there.

He waited a good ten minutes before the girl was tired enough to lower the pillar back into the earth. After doing this she turned to him and put her hands are her hips, "So, Sparky. How long you been standin' there?"

Zuko smirked, "A while. What's wrong, Toph?"

"Nothing is wrong. I'm just practicing," she paused and bended an earthquake under him, causing him to fall. Toph laughed, "See?"

Zuko stood back up and brushed himself off before going on. "Come on, Toph. I know something's up, what is it?"

"Look, Sparky. I don't need someone to take care of me, if I did I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be back in the Earth Kingdom, with my overprotective parents. But I'm not, because I can take care of myself," she told him, hands on her hips. "And besides! You aren't in any position to ask _me_ what's wrong when you obviously have so many of your _own_ problems that you can't work out."

Zuko objected. "I don't have any more problems! Ozai and Azula are locked up, and I'm becoming the Fire Lord tomorrow! It's all I've ever wanted!"

Toph snorted. "You always wanted your father and your sister locked up? That's twisted, Sparky, even for you."

Zuko seethed, but tried to ignore what she said last. "I just came here to see if you were okay, and apparently, you are!" Zuko turned to storm off back to the palace, but a small hand on his shoulder made him pause. He turned around and Toph looked down, so that her bangs covered her face almost completely.

"Look, Zuko…" Toph started. This shocked him, not only was he going to get an apology from the tough earth bender, but she had used his given name as well! Then Zuko frowned, it must be serious. "I'm sorry. I usually talk to Katara about this stuff, but…" Toph seemed reluctant to go on. "But ya see, she's kind of the problem in this case."

"Oh. What did she do?" Zuko asked. He thought of the morning he and Katara had talked last. He knew what Katara had done to him.

"Well, it's not just her. It's Aang, too," Toph explained and fidgeted her stance.

"Huh?" Zuko asked, utterly clueless as to what the girl was hinting at.

Toph blew up her bangs with an exasperated expression on her face. "You're hopeless, you know that, Sparky? I like Aang! Aang and Katara are together! Do you get it now?"

"Oh," Zuko said frowning. Toph seemed to have the very same problem as him. Would it be okay if he confided in her, too? She seemed trustworthy, and she trusted him. Maybe…

"So are you going to say anything else? Or should I just leave?" Toph asked, irritated at his response.

"No, no. I was just…surprised. We seem to have the same problem, I -" Toph cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah. You're in love with Katara. I know," she waved him off. Zuko's eyes widened, not only at the fact that she knew, but that someone had said out loud that he was actually in _love_ with Katara. He knew that wasn't completely true, but it was getting there.

"How did you know?" Zuko asked, still astonished.

"I can feel your heartbeats. When you two came back from that field trip of yours, both of you were practically having heart attacks when you got close to each other. But now it's just…normal. Obviously, something happened," Toph explained her logic.

"You're right, Toph. She told me she couldn't love me," Zuko said sadly, remembering her words and the way he'd reacted. That same reaction came to him now.

"Sheesh, don't start the waterworks with me. Hold yourself together, what would everybody say if they saw the Fire Lord crying?"

Zuko cracked a small smile at Toph's antics. "I'm not the Fire Lord, yet."

Toph gave a dramatic shrug. "Eh, what's a couple of hours?" Zuko laughed with her after this, and eventually they settled down again. "So, what are we going to do?" Zuko asked.

"Well, I'm going to travel around the Earth Kingdom and teach metal bending. You're going to clean up your dad's mess, and Aang is gonna fly around and help you. Sokka and Suki are gonna start popping out babies any minute, and your uncle is gonna go back to work at his tea shop. And Katara will go with her father back to the South Pole, no doubt to end up teaching water bending, with Aang dropping by every once in a while." Toph sighed.

"I actually meant about just Aang and you, and Katara and me."

"I know, but I don't have a plan, yet. You'll have to stick with Gloomy until one of us thinks of something," Toph said.

"Wow, Toph. Thanks," Zuko said sarcastically. But the earth bender was right, they needed a plan first and the day before his coronation was not the ideal time to form one. He needed to focus on his coronation, and then he needed to get Mai and Ty Lee released from the Boiling Rock.

Toph propelled herself onto Zuko's back, and Zuko mustered as much dignity as possible with a sarcastic earth bender on his back, and walked back into the palace.


	8. Chapter 8

Zuko paced back and forth in the Fire Lord's antechamber. It was a wonder he wasn't hyperventilating yet, and he was glad he was waiting alone. It would do for anybody to see him like this.

He was waiting for Li and Lo to bring him his newly made robes for his coronation. He refused to wear his father's, and his sister's were burnt and tattered from the Agni Kai.

Zuko sighed and slowed his pacing, and thought about what Toph said. No, he had not always wanted Ozai and Azula locked up. They were his family, even if they hadn't acted it recently. He remembered when Azula acted like his little sister should, playing with her friends and excluding him. He hadn't minded, of course, why would he want to play with three giggling girls? Mai and Ty Lee had been best friends with Azula ever since he could remember.

Zuko plopped down in a chair. _Mai…_ Mai loved him, enough to stand up to Azula. Zuko knew he should be grateful for that, and he was. But he didn't know if he could love her for that. It made him guilty when he had the passing thought of _not_ loving Mai. She was beautiful, strong, smart, cunning, and it was topped off by her nobility. She would be the perfect Fire Lady.

Did he love her, though? And if he didn't now, could he grow to love her later?

Zuko's thoughts were interrupted by a servant coming in to tell him that his uncle had sent the robes instead to the room in the front of the palace. Zuko groaned, his uncle always had to interfere. The prince walked swiftly to the room his robes were in, and ordered everybody out.

"I can do it myself," he told them. All the servants bowed and scuttled from the room.

He had taken to not wearing a shirt around lately. It hurt to pull it over his head, or even to just stick his arms through. His wound had been rewrapped again this morning, and it still felt relatively fresh. Katara had been there this morning to heal him again, ignoring his protests. It was the first time he had seen her, aside from meal times, and Zuko had been slightly ashamed that he was avoiding her.

Zuko winced as he pulled his right arm through one of the many robes.

"You need some help with that?" came a level voice from the doorway. Zuko turned and was astonished to see the raven-haired girl.

"Mai! You're okay! They let you out of prison?" Zuko was completely astonished. Even though he had his doubts about loving her, she was one of his closest friends, and nothing would change that.

"My uncle pulled some strings. And it doesn't hurt when the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend," Mai gave a small smirk at this, and Zuko's heart dropped. Apparently, they were still dating, no matter what he had to say about it.

"So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" Zuko asked, and silently thanked Agni that he could hide his emotions so well. He asked the question as if he was _hopeful_. Zuko knew he would never be hopeful with Mai again, not after Katara.

Mai blushed, "I think it means I actually kind of like you." Mai leaned in to kiss him.

_Until Toph comes up with a plan, this is it for me…_

Zuko closed his eyes and imagined a certain blue-eyed water bender, but it was hard because Mai's kiss was so rigid and cold. Katara's…you could only describe it at soft, loving even.

The kiss ended abruptly, and Mai's black eyes looked at him sternly, "But don't ever break up with me again." She accentuated this sentence with hard jabs of his chest every few words.

Zuko could not promise her that, as he was hoping that he would have to very soon. He settled on embracing her, and Mai accepted that.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Aang peeked through the doorway to see Zuko and Mai in an embrace. The monk smiled, he was happy for him. He had gone through so much for how young he was. Aang was proud that he didn't choose to execute his father and sister, violence was never the answer.

He walked from the doorway when he saw the couple starting to pull back. He didn't want it to seem like he was watching!

Aang waited a few more moments before Zuko stepped into the hall that opened to the plaza.

"I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down, and now…" Zuko said with an astonished look on his face and how far he had come.

"And now we're friends," Aang finished.

"Yeah, we are friends," Zuko agreed.

"I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now," Aang said in true awe.

"And it's going to be even more different…"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"…We'll rebuild it together," Zuko said. He hugged Aang, because even though Aang had Katara - for the moment - they had to set aside such differences on his coronation day, the day that the world truly changed. The walked through the archway opening into the plaza, and the roar of the cheering was deafening. Zuko's heart soared, he had support to bring about a large change.

"Please, the real hero is the Avatar," Zuko said, and the crowd went absolutely wild over this. "Today this war is finally over!" Again the people cheered. "I promised my uncle that I will restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help we can get it back on the right path and begin a new era of peace." Zuko's heart hammered in his chest as he knelt and the Fire Sage placed the headpiece on the top of his head.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" The crowd's reaction of this is even bigger than when he gave credit to Aang, even bigger than when he announced the war's end. It was absolute insanity, and though he could not see the end of the enormous mass of people he searched for one particular pair of blue eyes. For even though Katara could not love him, Zuko wanted to share this moment with her. To share his triumph.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Later that same day, Zuko knew what he had to do. His uncle had invited the whole group, including Mai, to his tea shop in Ba Sing Se. Zuko accepted, for it might be his last chance to travel on the giant sky bison with his friends all together. Mai, however, declined the ride on the sky bison. Zuko was grateful for that, he wanted this last trip to be with just the gang. Mai would sail there on a small but fast ship.

But before he left he needed to confront his father. His mother might still be alive, and if she was he needed to know where. And if she wasn't…well, he needed to know that, too.

He walked down the dimly lit rock corridor in the prison tower, to the very top cell in the center. His steps were silent, but his new robes rustled with each step. Zuko was strangely calm.

Zuko paused outside the cell door for a moment, and then pushed it open. His father was dressed in rags, his topknot undone and so his hair strewn across his scowling face. His body rested against the wall, and he stared off.

"I should count myself lucky. The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lowly prison cell," his father's low voice greeted him.

"You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life," Zuko stated evenly. "Banishing me was the best thing you could've done for my life. It put me on the right path…perhaps your time in here could do the same for you."

"Why are you _really_ here," his father asked. Zuko drew in a silent breath.

"Because you're going to tell me something. Where is my mother?"

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun! I'm really really very truly sorry that I haven't updated in **_**months**_**. I feel terrible, and I am such a bad person. Cookies?**

**Also, I'm sorry for how very short this chapter was, I'm working on Chapter 9 right now and it'll be fantastic! I'm soooo excited to be just going off on my own now, and not having to follow the episodes anymore! Also, if you didn't notice I added more to the end of Chapter 7.**

**One more thing: please give me ideas for actual names for the chapters! I would really appreciate that. Just comment and I'll consider them. **

***Gives you more cookies for the long hiatus* Love! 3**


	9. Chapter 9

Zuko saw off Mai and then went back up to the palace to change into something more comfortable. When he got there, though, he was ambushed by a stampede of advisors.

"Fire Lord Zuko, we would like to extend our warmest regards to you and Lady Mai. She always has a place here, if she wishes," the one in the lead said.

"What?" Zuko snapped. "Lady Mai and I are none of your concern. And as for her always having a place here, I believe I have a say in that. Now, I will be going to the Earth Kingdom to visit my uncle, and I will not return for at least a month. I'm leaving one of my former admirals here in my stead for the moment. I trust that you can keep everything under control."

"F-fire Lord Zuko! You cannot leave! You have only just been crowned! There is so much to be done, so much to be settled! We need to -" Zuko cut the man off.

"I will not have you telling me what I can and cannot do. I will be meeting with the Earth King while in Ba Sing Se, and I will write you letters on any important matter that needs to be discussed. I hope to be on good terms with all of you, but right now just is not the time, because - as you stated previously - things need to be settled." Zuko finished and without waiting for them to say something he walked off towards the Fire Lord's chambers.

He quickly reached the grand mahogany doors, and pushed them open. The servants had moved his personal things into the enormous room after vacating the room of anything that was his father's. Zuko was glad he didn't have to sleep here tonight, and whirled around packing anything in sight. It wasn't much, so he was done quickly.

"Hey, Zuko!" Sokka called from down the hall.

"I'm in here, Sokka."

Sokka walked into the room and slowed in awe. "Wo-ah, nice room you got here! Aang, Katara, Toph, and Suki are ready. We're just waiting on you! Did you see that group of old guys walking down the hall? They looked important…"

"No, I didn't," Zuko dismissed. "Let's go."

Zuko grabbed his stuff and he and Sokka walked out of his father's old suite.

"Seems like a little bit of stuff to take so long to pack," Sokka commented, he was trying to snoop but wasn't going to get anywhere with it. Zuko had nothing to hide!

"I had to see Mai off," Zuko offered.

"Ah hah! You two are going to be all over each other these next couple of weeks, eh?" Sokka elbowed him with an eyebrow raised high.

"The two of us have a lot to talk about, yes," Zuko answered wryly.

"Like what! She took a fall for you, and almost got killed by Azula! What more do you want in a woman, man!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're right, Sokka."

"I always am, I can't help it!" he gave a dramatic shrug that said: what are you gonna do?

Zuko cracked a smile at this just as they reached the giant bison, and on him were piled most of his favorite people in the world. Aang was seated on Appa's head, ready to go. Suki, Toph, and Katara were all in the saddle already. Sokka climbed up and Zuko propelled himself with fire to be seated perfectly next to Katara. He sighed, he couldn't help himself any longer.

"No fair!" Sokka yelled as he pulled himself up onto the saddle and tumbled in.

"Everybody ready?" Aang asked.

"Just yip already, Twinkletoes," Toph said, and propped her feet up on the raised edge of the huge saddle. "I have to say, I'm not going to miss flying."

"I think it's wonderful!" Suki exclaimed. "I'll miss it a lot."

"It's definitely better than a ship," Zuko commented.

"Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick," Toph said and made a face.

"I can't wait to see the South Pole again, and Gram Gram and Dad. We were only with him with a day before we left again…" Katara said, Zuko could tell she felt guilty.

"You'll have plenty of time to spend with your dad later, Sweetness. Us other people have some important stuff we need to tend to after this very long vacation we're about to take," Toph said matter-of-factly.

"Oh really? And what important stuff do you need to attend to, Miss Toph Bei Fong?" Katara asked.

"Metal bending, I'm going to teach it. And Sparky here has a whole country that needs attending to, not that it can't wait one more month. It's waited a hundred years already, it has all the time in the world! Right, Sparky?"

"Yeah, patience is key here," he laughed. "So what are you going to do, Katara?" Zuko asked cautiously. To his utter frustration her face remained in a flawless smile, not even a slight moment of hesitation.

"The South Pole needs some rebuilding. Well, not just some - a LOT. Sokka and I are perfect for the job. Between his planning and my water bending? It will be rebuilt in no time at all!" Katara was truly excited about this. She would be doing essentially the same thing as he was for the next couple of years, rebuilding a nation. Although the Southern Water Tribe was just that - a tribe - he knew Katara and Sokka would make it into something with splendor to rival that of the Northern Water Tribe. "Of course, that's no thanks to the giant gap you broke in the ice when you invaded a year ago," Katara teased.

"And if I remember correctly I saw quite a look of fear that day, don't you recall?" Zuko taunted. His heart slowed to a normal pace, this banter was easy and normal compared their relationship lately.

"That wasn't fair, I didn't know how to water bend properly yet. Or really how to water bend at all…" Katara laughed at the memory of herself just a small year ago. "But you had that ridiculous hair! A ponytail on the top of your head, really? Where did _that_ come from? You look far better with it down than in a topknot, even."

Zuko stocked that simple fact away for future reference, unbeknownst to the girl beside him.

"That 'ridiculous hair' is a symbol of royalty!"

Sitting next to Katara and arguing with her made Zuko's heart swell. This long vacation would be his first attempt at her heart. He could not do it in his Fire Lord robes, though.

"I'm going to change out of these. If you don't mind," Zuko made a spinning motion with his finger to signal them to turn around. He quickly shed the ornate robes and replaced them with a simple shirt and pants. He folded it all nicely. "Okay."

"Your topknot is still in," Suki reminded him.

"Right! Thanks," Zuko said and pulled out the headpiece. He gingerly placed it into his satchel. Then he yanked out the band in his hair so it fell into his once more.

"Much better," Katara said. Zuko knew he imagined it, but it looked like her smile was only for him. That was, until Aang called her.

"Katara, come sit with me!" She climbed out of the saddle to be with her…boyfriend. For that was what he was to her now. They had ended the war, and now they were together.

He sighed audibly. The wind tugged at his hair and he lay back and crossed his arms under his head. The sun was setting now. This time a few days ago Katara was telling him that she thought she could love him. Evidently Katara was thinking the same thing, and laid down next to him.

"Why aren't you sitting with your _boyfriend_?" Zuko spat, but not loud enough for the others to hear. Even though he was stewing in his own rage and jealously and hurt, he knew he would only drive Katara away if the others found out about the two of them. Because Katara didn't want her little incident with him in the tent that night that seemed so long ago to be known. Zuko knew this was ridiculous, that he should want a girl that didn't want to be in public with him like that. But he couldn't help it.

"He's not my boyfriend, yet," she mumbled. "I'm sorry…but I have to."

"You aren't sorry, and you don't have to." This conversation was hurting him badly, but nobody around the two knew that. Zuko took comfort in that. May she, too, couldn't tell how badly she hurt him.

"I _am_ sorry!" Katara hissed. "And I _do_ have to. I love him, Zuko!" That hit him hard, and stopped his heart for a split second.

"Why are you _sorry_ if you _love_ him?" Zuko hissed back.

"I care about you," she muttered.

"That isn't enough for me, not anymore," Zuko said darkly. "I don't want to be just friends. I'm going to fight for you, and I won't _ever_ give you up."

"Zuko…"

"Hey, Katara! I need to talk to you," Sokka said, effectively ending their conversation.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"What is it, Sokka?" Katara asked. She was partly relieved and partly annoyed Sokka had interrupted her conversation with Zuko. She would have to think about what he said later.

"Well I was thinking…I want to marry Suki," Sokka explained matter-of-factly.

"Sokka! That's great! But…don't you think you're a little young?"

"No, the men in our tribe traditionally get married at my age!" Sokka rationalized. "Besides, I'm in love…" He got that doe-eyed look, and it almost looked like there were big red hearts in his eyes. Katara suppressed a giggle.

"_Traditionally_, Sokka. As in, not anymore. Plus you don't know Suki's traditions," Katara pointed out.

"Well, it's not like we have to get married right after I propose! She can tell me about her traditions and then we can get to it!" he exclaimed. "I have a plan."

Her brother with a plan. Either that was a very bad thing, or a very good thing. They tended to go one way or the other. Lately they had gotten a lot better, so who knew? Maybe he had a good plan.

"And what's your brilliant plan?" Katara asked.

"To shop for a rock as pretty as Suki in Ba Sing Se!" he announced, loud enough for Suki to hear. Fortunately, she was trying hard to keep up a conversation with the sullen and angry Toph. Katara was worried about her, but she wanted to talk to Toph alone without Aang. She promised herself that she would find time tomorrow at the tea shop.

"I'm happy for you, really. But don't you think that there's a better place to talk about this?" Katara discreetly motioned to the general direction of Toph and Suki.

"What - ohhhhhh. Gotcha," Sokka clapped her on the shoulder and walked the few steps to Suki. Katara smiled, her brother wasn't nearly as clueless as a year ago.

Zuko was still lying down, and now he had his eyes closed. Katara left him where he was, she didn't want to wake him up. She climbed over the front of the saddle once more and onto Appa's head, and mused at how comfortable she had become flying. She smiled at the thought, and sat down next to Aang.

"Is Zuko okay? He seemed angry," Aang asked.

"He's fine. He's just thinking about what his father said to him. I guess I should say what he _didn't_ say to him, considering most of what that conversation was made up of was taunts and maniacal laughing." Katara felt terrible lying to Aang. She didn't even know if she should tell him what happened with Zuko. She had no idea if they were together or not now, or together or not then. Everything was so confusing, and Zuko wasn't going to make it any better by not giving her up.

"I feel so bad for him, that his father feels that way. I wish I could help," Aang said. Katara saw that they were reaching land, and knew it was one of the many coasts of the Earth Kingdom. They still had a couple more hours until they reached Ba Sing Se, though.

"Me too," Katara agreed. Although she hadn't though about Zuko's father very much the past couple of days - her thoughts had been consumed by Zuko himself, she was ashamed to admit - she really did wish that she could help in some way. Maybe she could when she visited the Fire Nation in a couple of months with her father and her brother. Katara yawned, and Aang smiled.

"You should get some sleep. We'll be there in a couple of hours," Aang suggested. Katara nodded and climbed back into the saddle.

Instead of sleeping, like everybody but Aang, she sat on her knees and looked at the sky. The sky was an inky black now, tiny little clouds spotted the sky. The moon was big and full, and it looked as if she could reach out and touch it. The stars sprinkled the star with their shimmer, combining with the milky light of the moon. Her hair whipped around her face, and she leaned over the edge to see the land disappearing by. It made her sad to think that this was probably the last time she would be with all of these people, flying in the sky again. She hated to admit it, but she knew she would miss Zuko most of all.

Both Zuko and she had grown up this past year, found themselves while traveling the world. She was no longer the frustrated young girl she was. Katara was now a Master of water bending, when just a measly year ago she could barely hold a sphere of water suspended in the air. In all honestly, Zuko had changed the most. He had come to the right side, become friends with the Avatar, helped save the world, and had now become Fire Lord. He would be facing new challenged his whole life, but Katara knew he was the only man she'd chose for the Fire Nation. After all, he'd saved her life.

Katara lay down next to Toph and yawned. She glanced over at Zuko, thinking he was sleeping, but his amber eyes met her cerulean ones. He held her gaze until she finally turned on her other side, and fell asleep.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Everybody but Zuko was in a deep sleep. While Katara had been talking to Sokka and Aang he had been distracting himself by thinking about his most recent conversation with his father. It wasn't much to think about, though, and he wanted this trip to be a happy one. So he mused on where his mother could be, assuming she was alive.

Zuko had narrowed it down to the Northern Water Tribe. His father had always joked that she really belonged in the Water Tribe. Ursa had loved the rain, the ocean, and dream of snow in the ever-warm Fire Nation. Zuko thought she was crazy when he saw snow for the first time. It was during his search for the Avatar. The day he first experienced snow was also the day he met Katara. Or rather, saw her for the first time. He no longer considered harassing her grandmother _meeting_.

Before that day all he had seen was ice. Sure, it sparkled. But it was just a white lump to him. Gems were far better than that! He had thought. When he had reached the village it had just begun to flurry. Tiny specks of white getting lost in a while backdrop. He remembered finding them slightly annoying, even.

Next he thought of his brief time at the Northern Water Tribe. Sure, when he broke through the ice all he could do was gasp for breath. At first. After that, even rushing to capture Aang, he had registered the splendor and beauty of the ice city. He knew that his mother would love it there. His excursion to that snowy city changed his opinion of the Water Tribes forever - or at least started it the change.

It was at the oasis in the North Pole that he experienced the full potential of Katara's water bending. He should have expected that she would learn while she was there, but he didn't know how very stubborn, confident, and what a fast-learner she was yet.

He smirked as he though of another meeting with Katara. Weeks or months before the North Pole, he didn't know. They were in the Earth Kingdom, and Katara had stolen a water bending scroll from a band of pirates. Zuko had recently obtained Katara's necklace on an abandoned prison in the middle of the ocean. He couldn't remember ever seeing her without it, so he guessed it was important to her. Seeing her neck bared without that damned necklace…it was absolutely divine. He got carried away in his lust for the innocent, young, Water Tribe peasant girl. His smirk grew as he thought how he found her: water bending in only her under bindings. Then he preceded to tie her to a tree in just her under bindings.

Agni, the way she yelled at him! But he didn't yell back, instead he showed her the necklace, and brushed her neck with his hands. He remembered that her skin was cool, but caught on fire when he touched it.

_I'll save you from the pirates…_he had whispered in her ear. To this day he swore she blushed that night.

According to Sokka, she was going to have to switch that necklace out with her own betrothal necklace eventually. He hoped his was the necklace to grace her pretty neck. Right now it seemed Aang would be proposing in a couple of years. Like Zuko had told Katara on the day of the solstice, Aang was still just a kis. He had missed out on his childhood and now he wanted to live it out. Zuko had two years, he approximated, of Aang still being childish. He probably had a couple more years after that, because Katara wouldn't want to rush into anything.

Zuko had heard Sokka and Katara talking. He knew Toph did, too, with her sharpened senses. The only reason the Kyoshi Warrior didn't hear is because Toph was being so unresponsive in her conversation attempts, and Suki was concentrating on that instead of Sokka.

So Sokka wanted to marry Suki? The whole group had seen this coming, probably even Suki. Just like Toph had said, it was inevitable and coming soon that Sokka and Suki would get married and have children.

If he ever had kids, he definitely wouldn't give them traditional Fire Nation names. No, the first child would have a Water Tribe name. The second would have an Earth Kingdom name, and the third would have an Air Nomad name. For Katara, Toph, and Aang. Because even though Aang and Katara were currently a couple, Aang was still the first to accept him and befriend him.

Zuko knew that they must be very close to Ba Sing Se by now, and so looked down to check where they were. Sure enough, he could see Ba Sing Se only a little in front of them. Zuko took in a steadying breath, and let it out slowly.

_Trying to win Katara's heart, starts now._


	10. Chapter 10

"Katara," Zuko said softly and shook her. "Katara wake up, we're at Uncle's tea shop," Zuko said a little louder when she didn't stir. He shook her again, and her eyes snapped open and tears ran out.

"Oh, Zuko! I thought it was real!" Katara said breathlessly, tears running down her ceeks. Zuko gathered her is his arms.

"What was real?" he asked softly. The others were still sleeping, and Aang was waking them up.

"The nightmare. It was Azula the day of the comet. You…died from her lightning saving me. And I couldn't save you…" Katara got choked on her sobs. Zuko was bewildered,m and couldn't think of anything to do. He hadn't ever comforted anyone before. So he sat there holding her until she ran out of tears, which wasn't long. He smugly suspected that this was because she cried so often.

"I'm sorry I ruined your shirt," she eventually whispered. "It was so vivid…it's the first time I've had a nightmare in a long time."

"It was about Azula's lightning?" he asked.

"She sniffled. "Yeah. But it's okay, I'm alright," she dismissed.

"No it's not okay. Azula had no right to do that. She broke Agni Kai rules," Zuko said hotly.

"I know. Thanks for saving me," Katara smiled and stood up. Zuko followed her up.

"And thanks for saving me," Zuko replied, matching her smile. "Aang, I'll show Katara to her room. Find my uncle and he'll show you to your rooms," Zuko told Aang.

"Okay, Zuko. See you tomorrow, Katara!" Aang said.

"Goodnight, Aang," Katara said, and climbed off of the saddle.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"Your room is right next to mine," Zuko said in a low voice. He was trying to win Katara's heart, and he had to start somewhere.

"Katara shot him a look, "Of _course_ it is." She rolled her eyes. Zuko led her into the room next to his, but instead of going to his own room he shut the door behind him. "What is this, Zuko? What happened in the tent isn't going to happen again," Katara said, fully serious now.

"I respect that. I just need to tell you something. And I want you to just listen while I say it, and I'm going to ask you a question," Zuko explained. "But I don't want you to answer until we leave Ba Sing Se for our homes. Okay?" He was making it up as he went along, forming a plan in his mind. He would tell her now, and prove it to her until she left for her home.

"Katara, I'm falling in love with you." Katara opened her mouth to speak, but Zuko silenced her with a look. "I know you think you love Aang, but I don't think you do. You said you thought you could love me, and I know you aren't one to say that lightly - even though our lives were at stake. So what I'm asking is, are you falling in love with me?" Katara opened her mouth to try to speak, but Zuko pressed a finger to her lips to quiet. "But like I said, don't answer until we leave for our homes. I plan to spend this trip impressing on you the true extent of my feelings for you. Okay?"

"You do realize you'll have to break up with Mai, right? She's in love with you, she'll be crushed," Katara said.

This caught Zuko off guard. Mai was his backup plan, as much as he hated to admit that. If he broke up with her he didn't know if he'd get her back again. He didn't even know if Katara would choose him. As much as he would love to marry for love, that might not be an option for him.

"Consider us broken up for this vacation. If you aren't falling in love with me, I'll have to be with Mai," Zuko decided.

"Fair enough. Woo me," Katara joked.

Zuko smirked, this was his chance. He swooped in, as if to kiss her lips, but kissed her cheek instead. He stepped back to see the effect. Katara's lips were parted, and her big blue eyes were wide.

"I won't if you don't want me to," Zuko whispered. "Just say the word and I'll go to my own room, and spend the night there." His hands ran down her arms and she shivered. She said nothing. His heart beat fast as he leaned in to close the excruciating distance. He saw her eyes close slowly, before his slid shut. He closed the rest of the space quickly and their lips touched once more.

It wasn't anything like their previous kisses. Those were impassionate, hurried. This was sweet, but definitely not short. The kiss betrayed real feeling between them. Zuko knew for sure now that Katara had lied to him, she _could_ love him. She felt obligated to make Aang happy. Zuko brought his arms around the water bender and brought her closer. She broke the kiss for air, and opened her eyes to look at him.

"You don't have to make him happy, you know," Zuko murmured. He expected her to yell at him for that, but she wrapped her arms around his neck instead.

"I know, but…he loves me so much. I don't want to break his heart…" Katara trailed off, and she looked down. But Zuko's eyes widened in triumph.

"You don't love him?" he said in a low voice full of hope. He had never guessed his feint would have gone this well.

"I don't think so. I mean, I don't think I'm _in_ love with him," she said.

"You don't _think_ so? How could you not be sure!" he said with a little too much force. Katara tried to break away from him but Zuko held on, determined to finish this conversation with her in his arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Katara." She still struggled against his grip. "Katara, please!" he begged her to stop. One of his arms loosened and he slid it up to rest on her neck. Zuko planted his lips on her fervently and the struggle ceased immediately, to be replaced with Katara passionately returning the kiss.

Her hands tangled in his shaggy hair and pulled. Zuko groaned and pulled her warm thigh up to wrap around his waist and held it there. After minutes like that Katara had to break the kiss and stop for breath, but Zuko's lips didn't leave her skin. His mouth traveled down her jaw, up to nibble on her ear, and finally down to her neck. Zuko kissed her pulse point and the Water Tribe girl squealed. He smirked and gently ran his teeth over it, earning a gasp from Katara. She tightened her grip on him.

"I can show you what love it. I'll start by sleeping here if you want me to," Zuko whispered. Of course, the Fire Lord had no intention of doing anything more than what they had already done and dishonoring her. She now knew that he wanted her, all that he needed to do now was prove his growing love.

"I most _definitely_ want you to sleep here," Katara said breathlessly.

"Good, I don't want to leave." Zuko guided Katara to her bed and laid her on top of him. "Don't want to crush you," he smirked.

"Please," Katara scoffed and rolled them over. "I can handle it."

"I just thought you'd want to be in control…" Zuko taunted.

"I would usually take that as an insult, but I'm taking your lead right now…so I don't really care," she said. Zuko was hovering above her, not touching her at all. Katara's body strained to make contact with his, and so he settled himself on top of her with his arms holding most of his weight instead of Katara.

"This feels _amazing_, Zuko…" Katara moaned.

Zuko chuckled darkly. "I'm glad, because this is about as far as it gets tonight."

"Under one condition," Katara said confidently.

"Anything," Zuko said, desperate to keep Katara where she was.

"Take off your shirt. I ruined it, after all," Katara said, and her smile grew as Zuko grinned at her request. Zuko pulled off the simple brown shirt easily, and threw it somewhere on the ground.

"Is that better, my water bender?" Zuko asked playfully.

"I'm not yours, Fire Lord," Katara reminded him.

This didn't disturb Zuko, "Not yet. Will you be mine?"

"I'm not supposed to answer that question for a couple of weeks, I' m going to stick to that promise. Now, where were we?" Katara asked, and pulled Zuko's lips to hers.

Katara's fingers tangled in Zuko's hair once more, and Zuko held himself up while trying not to grind into her. He promised himself that he wouldn't cross the line to dishonoring her tonight, and feeling her core against his would just push him in the wrong direction. He settled for running his hands up and down her sides, learning the curve of her waist.

Zuko broke the kiss this time, but this time he went directly for her neck knowing he'd love the sounds he'd get out of her now. He started by kissing the sensitive spot, making Katara squirm under him. Zuko was glad there was some kind of friction, otherwise he'd have gone crazy. In what some would consider a fortunate turn of events, his groin ended up grinding in between Katara's hips, making her moan and push back.

"We can't…Katara…it makes me crazy…" Zuko said in between steadying breaths. Zuko caught her biting her lower lip, and prepared to tell her it wasn't her fault, when a smoldering look replaced the unsure one.

"I _always_ make you crazy, why stop now?" she asked.

"That's a great point," Zuko replied, and gave her a fiery kiss while she rocked into him.

Katara held herself to him while they rocked into each other, Zuko groaning and Katara moaning. Zuko kissed and sucked on her neck, but this time hard enough to leave a love bruise. Katara's fingers searched lower, and Zuko froze.

"Katara, we should stop," Zuko said breathlessly.

"Mmm…why?" she asked in a sultry voice. Her fingers had poked under his waistband now and were teasing him.

"Because I'm going to lose it, and you'll regret it tomorrow," Zuko told her. Katara gave a dramatic sigh at this, because she knew he was right.

"Fine, but don't leave," she commanded.

"Like I said, I'm sleeping here tonight," Zuko laughed. He pulled down the sheets and the two slipped underneath them, both still breathing heavily. Katara scooted close to him and pressed all of her curves into his body. She laid her head on his chest and wound an arm around his waist.

"Goodnight, Fire Lord," Katara whispered, just realizing she was sleepy.

"Don't call me that," Zuko whispered back.

"Goodnight Zuko," Katara tried again.

"Goodnight my water bender," Zuko smiled at his name on her tongue.

"I'm not yours…" she said tiredly.

"I can only hope," Zuko said, and they both fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This is just a tiny little chapter featuring my attempt at Iroh. Merry Christmas! The next two chapters will be a day in Ba Sing Se (one for Zuko and one for Katara). Much like the episode called 'The Tales of Ba Sing Se' ? I think that's what it's called. So yes, look forward to that and enjoy the fluff and the little bit of Iroh.**

Katara woke up with her arm around a warm fire bender and a smile on her face. Last night had been one of the best nights of her entire life. At this moment she fully intended to tell Zuko that she was falling in love with him at the end of the trip. Katara kissed the young Fire Lord and he woke slowly.

"Hm, Katara?" Zuko asked like he was confused.

"Who else could it be?" Katara giggled.

"I thought it was all a dream," he chucked, and Katara laughed with him and gave him a light kiss.

"Nope," Katara chirped.

Zuko pulled her into his arms and get a wet, sloppy morning kiss.

"I have Zuko slobber all over my face now!" Katara pretended to be annoyed.

"What will Aang think?" Zuko asked, acting worried. Even the mention of Aang didn't bring them down from their giddy high. They laughed and went on pretending like this, until finally the door burst open.

"Katara! It's time for -" Iroh said, but stopped mid-sentence when he saw his nephew lying in Katara's bed half naked. But he was only silent for a moment.

"Zuko! Never would I have thought you to be one to defile and dishonor a woman in such a way! And Katara, no less!"

"Uncle, I can explain!" Zuko started, but Iroh wouldn't have any of his excuses. Besides, what excuses could he give? Katara was having nightmares so he took off his shirt and slept in her bed with her?

"No, Zuko! Get up! We are going out! My apologies Miss Katara," Iroh finished, cooling down now.

Zuko jumped up and grabbed his shirt and pulled it on while he was walking out the door. He shot an apologetic look back at Katara, who hadn't said a word since Iroh burst in on them. Her eyes were still wide in shock, and her pretty face was colored red from embarrassment.

His Uncle led him into the kitchen, which was fortunately far enough from Katara's room so that normal people couldn't have heard what just went on there. But Toph had, and he knew it as soon as she gave him a raised eyebrow and a chuckle. Zuko knew he would have a conversation with Toph later about all that had happened last night, and the plan he had formed.

"The tea is ready now, you just have to pour it. Zuko and I will be back shortly," Uncle said cheerily. He was back to his normal self, which made Zuko feel terrible. He knew Uncle thought so much less of him now, and he couldn't stand disappointing him yet again.

As soon as they were out the door of the tea shop Uncle said to him, "So, Fire Lord, what is it you were doing in Miss Katara's room so early in the morning?"

Zuko sighed, leaned against the wall of the tea shop, and sank down so his head was resting on his knees. He was going to have to tell Uncle, there was no other way to explain it. The excuses he'd been trying to come up with since stepping foot outside Katara's bedroom were ridiculous, and Iroh was no fool.

"I think I love her, Uncle," Zuko said simply. Iroh was no longer angry, and so sat down next to his nephew.

"I see. You know Zuko, you have a very complicated heritage," Uncle started, but Zuko interrupted him.

"I know, Uncle. Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin were my great-grandfathers. I have good and bad in me, right and wrong. The good finally won out," Zuko said.

"Yes," Uncle agreed, "it did."

"What does this have to do with Katara?" Zuko asked, remembering the real reason they were out there.

"In my opinion, Miss Katara brings out the very best in you. I believe she is one of the reasons you joined the Avatar's group, am I right?" Iroh grinned when Zuko nodded.

"But what about Aang? He loves her, too, and Katara doesn't want to let him down. How do I compete with the Avatar?"

"Ah, young Aang. I do not know and could not guess if he truly does love Katara. Maybe he does, but not in quite the same way as we would all expect. You must be sure to let Katara choose for herself," Iroh finished, and then added, "Or maybe with a little persuasion!" Uncle laughed at his little joke and Zuko smiled. "Perhaps we should return to the kitchen now, for our morning tea!"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I know I usually don't update this quick (which I apologize for, by the way), but it's Christmas break and a reviewer told me it would be lovely if I updated today. So here I am, being the lovely person that I am. This chapter will be Katara's part of the day in Ba Sing Se. **

**Also, I absolutely love reviews. They make my day every single time. Reviewers seem to really like cookies so...how 'bout it?**

Katara couldn't move the whole time Iroh was in the room. She kept thinking that it could've been Aang, it could've been Sokka! And now that she thought more about what had happened last night and the people under the same roof as them the more she panicked. Toph had heard them, absolutely no doubt about it. She would have to somehow talk to Toph today and convince her not to make any allusions to it to Aang. Then she remembered Toph's mood lately, and how Katara had been putting off talking to her about what was wrong. Plus, they needed a girl's day anyway.

Katara relaxed a couple minutes after Zuko had left the room. Obviously, she expected Zuko to tell her what happened with his Uncle once they had eaten breakfast. Iroh was a reasonable man, he reminded Katara of her own father. Iroh really loved Zuko as if he were his own son. She was glad Zuko had such a permanent figure like that in his life, he was going to need it if he was going to get through the beginning of his reign as Fire Lord.

This started a whole new train of thought for Katara. If she were to choose Zuko over Aang she would become Fire Lady. Was that even allowed in the Fire Nation? Sure tradition would say it was not. And what would her tribe think of her? Her father, her Gran Gran? The hundred year long war had just ended, yes, but it would take years - maybe decades - to get things back on track. The Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe would still be very wary and untrusting towards the Fire Nation after all the terrors they had put them through.

Finally Katara had to stop herself from thinking anymore into the choice she would have to make. Right now she needed to eat breakfast and talk to Zuko to make sure everything with Iroh had gone well. Then she would spend the day with Toph at the Fancy Lady Day Spa.

She took a deep, steadying breath and got up from where Zuko had been beside her only ten minutes before. She took another deep breath and set that out of her mind for now. She made the rumpled bed, and tried to smooth out her everyday blue outfit. It occured to Katara that she had worn this same outfit for the better part of a year, and that it didn't really fit her quite as well as it used to. Maybe she would drag Toph shopping today, too.

By the time Katara made it to breakfast everybody was nearly finished, with the exception of Zuko and Iroh who were a little behind the rest of the group. Sokka was stuffing himself with just about any food he could get his hands on, and Suki was sitting next to him looking a little embarrassed.

"So when's Mai gonna be here, Zuko?" Sokka said through a mouthful of jook.

"She will be here in one week," Zuko answered a little too formally. Katara knew that he had felt her presence as soon as she had entered the little kitchen.

Aang was sitting beside Toph and Zuko, with a chair inbetween him and Zuko. It was the only seat left, and Katara was happy enough to take it. She wondered if Zuko had done this purposely so that she could sit beside him while also Aang so it wouldn't look suspicious.

"Would you please pass the tea?" Katara asked Iroh, who was sitting on Zuko's right.

"Yes, here you are," Iroh said as he passed the tea to Zuko. Zuko poured the tea into her cup and passed it back to his uncle to set down on the table. Then he held out the cup to Katara, a seemingly innocent action. His fingers purpose brushed hers, and Katara barely contained her blush as she thought of what had transpired in her room only a few hours ago.

"So, Sugar Queen, sleep well?" Toph asked suddenly. Katara would've shot her a look had she not been blind, but instead she smiled.

"Yes, Toph. I haven't slept that well in a long time," she answered.

Everybody was chatting quietly with whomever they had chosent to sit by, so Aang turned to her and grabbed her hand. Zuko had seen it, and actually gave a low growl. He swiped his hand high up her thigh, and she was instantly wanting them to be alone so they could continue what he had started last night. By losing herself in these thoughts she missed what Aang had said to her.

"Kataraaaa? Hello? Did you hear me?" he waved a hand in front of her face obnoxiously, trying to snap her out of her trance. She almost missed what he said again when Zuko repeated his action. She blew out an annoyed breath, more directed at herself and the mess she was in than anything else. Katara pushed Zuko's hand away, but gave it a squeeze to signal that now really wasn't the time.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Aang?" Katara asked.

"I asked you if you wanted to go visit the zoo I made here last time we were in Ba Sing Se. It has all sorts of animals! You want to come?" Aang asked excitedly.

"Oh, Aang, I would but I have plans with Toph already. We're going back to the Fancy Lady Day Spa, it was so much fun the last time. Right, Toph?" Katara hoped that Toph would play along.

"Yeah, you shoulda seen the look on their faces when we were in the mudbath and I earth bended a mud monster!" Toph and Katara shared a laugh at the memory.

"Oh, well I hope you have a good time. Maybe tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure Aang, we'll go to the zoo tomorrow. I can't wait to see it," Katara confirmed, and she suddenly felt like his mother. She certainly tried to appease him as if she were his mother. Can't go to the zoo today? We'll go tomorrow, don't worry. Zuko was absolutely right, and even though they were friends now - or if she were to be honest, more than friends - she hated having him be right about her relationship with Aang. How someone else could see it and not her was completely infuriating.

Suddenly she felt a pressure on her right knee, and she shot Zuko an annoyed glare. This time her annoyance really was directed at him. He could make this whole ordeal a little less messy if he could contain himself through a single meal. Honestly, where was his self-control?

When the Fire Lord smirked in reply to her glare, she had had enough. Katara huffed and stood up, her anger thinly veiled.

"I think I'll go for a walk before we go out, Toph," Katara said, effectively excusing herself from her half-finished breakfast.

As soon as she stopped her arm from throwing the door open, instead opening it gently and trying not to stomp out of the door, she heard Zuko's poor excuse from breakfast.

"I'll be back."

Katara stood waiting with her arms crossed, and tried not to roll her eyes when Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist. Instead she untangled herself and turned to yell at him. Zuko caught her in a kiss before she could get one word out. She melted for a second before her resolve hardened once more. She pushed on his chest, not that she could actually move him, but he got the message. He stopped the kiss and stepped back, but continued running his fingertips up and down her upper arms, and she couldn't stop goose bumps from appearing.

"What's wrong, Katara?" Zuko said in a low voice, and Katara couldn't help but give a slight shiver. But she thought back to breakfast and her annoyance rose to the surface again.

"Sitting inbetween you and Aang may have seemed like a fantastic idea at the time, but if you can't control yourself when he touches me, and if you can't help but feel me up under the table, then maybe you shouldn't sit next to me!" Katara yelled at him. Zuko didn't miss a beat and kissed her again. Katara slapped him, but immediately felt terrible afterwards.

Katara had sobered him, literally slapping him out of his playful mood. He didn't say anything, but he visibly straightened. The little twinkle in his eye was put out and a fierce gleam replaced it, akin to the one that used to be permanently there before he joined their group. His arms dropped to his sides, no longer carressing her arms. Zuko seemed like he was waiting for her to say something.

"Oh my...oh La. I didn't...I'm so sorry. Oh, Zuko..."

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have pressed myself on you. I was under false impressions, my apologies, Katara," Zuko said coldly. His voice was monotone and unwavering, how it must have been when speaking to his father. She was sure he had more than just the one scar. And here she was, slapping him for a well-intentioned kiss.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Zuko. It's not your fault, I over-reacted. Please, snap out of it," she begged. Still, he stood there for a moment before responding.

"Alright," Zuko agreed.

"Damnit, Zuko! Stop agreeing with me!" Katara shouted. She didn't care if the other's heard at this point, she just needed him to be the Zuko she was falling in love with again.

"I'm not just agreeing with you to appease you. I really am agreeing because you're right," Zuko said in the same deadpan tone. Tears welled in Katara's eyes at the change she had caused in Zuko. It was her fault, and with that the tears fell down her cheeks. She threw herself into the stiff and unyielding arms of the former Fire Prince. She would ruin this shirt too if she had to. Katara clutched at his shirt, pulling him as close as she could.

Minutes in to the embrace Zuko relaxed and wrapped her in his strong arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "For scaring you like that. It brought me back to a...a bad time, to say the least. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, Zuko!" Katara exclaimed and kissed him hard. "I'm so sorry!"

"Will you spend the day with me?" Zuko asked, and Katara knew she was forgiven.

"Well, Toph and I were going to the spa..." she started.

"Toph won't mind, trust me," Zuko said. "So you will?"

"Well, if Toph won't mind then absolutely! What about Aang, though?" Katara asked.

"Go out with Toph and come back with Toph, but spend the time inbetween that with me. Okay?"

"Alright. I'll be back out in a couple of minutes with Toph!" Katara said excitedly. She practically ran inside through the tea shop to get back to the kitchen where everyone was just finishing their breakfasts.

"Where did Zuko go?" Iroh asked.

"I don't know, he just took off. It didn't seem like he was going anywhere particular," Katara answered off handedly. No one knew exactly what had transpired the day of the comet, they had told nobody the specifics of the Agni Kai with Azula and especially not how Katara had gotten involved. And above all else they had told nobody how they had saved each other's life that night. But everyone could see a change in their relationship, even Sokka noticed how his sister's relationship with the fire bender had changed. Everybody accepted this as normal, because who hadn't changed that day?

"So, Toph, you ready to go?" Katara asked.

"Sure, Sweetness. Let's go," Toph replied and got up and walked right past Katara out of the shop, expecting to be followed. Which she was. As soon as they were out the door Toph stopped. "Alright, go have fun you two lovebirds," she said, and gestured away from her.

"You already knew?" Katara asked.

"You think I wasn't listening to your conversation the entire time? You two obviously need to spend some quality time together and work out some issues. And maybe discuss what happened last night, am I right?" Both of their faces were shocked by the ever-eavesdropping earth bender. "Don't worry, I only heard the vibrations." Katara shook her head, because that didn't make her feel much better about the situation. "Alright, if you two aren't going to say anything then I'm off to find a suitable piece of real estate. I'll meet you back here at dusk," Toph said, and walked off, leaving the couple astounded.

"I always forget that she's almost always listening," Katara said, and laughed. Zuko joined in. "I guess she is right, too. We do need to work out some issues, and discuss what happened last night." Katara blushed when she mentioned the subject.

"Yes, we do. But first, where do you want to go?" Zuko asked

"Let's go shopping. We could both use some new clothes," Katara decided, and they set off in search of clothing stores. After a while of comfortable silence Katara gathered up the courage to ask a serious question.

"Do you have other scars?"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: So as it turns out there **_**isn't**_** a two seperate chapters for Zuko and Katara! But I'm sure you all won't mind that because Zutara is what you're here for ;D If Aang is a little OOC I'm sorry, I'm not used to writing him! :O So tell me what you think :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Zuko fought the urge to freeze again. He paused, breathed in to keep calm, and walked on with Katara. Inwardly he heard the cruel laugh of his father. No, of course he didn't have any other scars.<p>

"No, I don't," Zuko said, not making any explanation.

"Well...why not?" Katara asked. Zuko sighed, he had hoped she wouldn't ask that.

"Because a scar mars the perfect purity of the body. If I were ever to be scarred none of the noble women's fathers would have let them marry me, no matter how much they wanted to be connected to the royal bloodline. It just isn't done. A scar is a mark of dishonor and punishment. It's an embarrassment, and in some cases...a mark of banishment," Zuko finished rigidly.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Katara mumbled, blushing at how personal a question she had asked.

"It's alright. I should tell somebody these things," Zuko absolved.

After a few minutes of silence Katara piped up. "You know, in the Water Tribe a scar is a mark of honor." Zuko didn't reply, and so they walked in a comfortable silence.

The two wandered through the upper ring of the city, silently taking it all in. Just as silently, Zuko took Katara's hand.

Katara pulled her hand from his.

"I'm sorry, Zuko, but people know who we are. I'm supposed to be with Aang and you're supposed to be with Mai. Not to mention Toph's right, and we should discuss what happened last night."

"There's nothing to discuss, Katara. You know how I feel about you. And like we agreed, we're not going to talk about his until we leave."

"Look Zuko. I know I agreed to that last night but it's not going to work! It's a miracle that Aang didn't walk in on us last night to sleep on my floor! So I need to know what we are before I have to explain not wanting to be with him tomorrow. So what are we?" Katara demanded, hands on her hips.

Last night Zuko's mind had been fogged with his desire for her. All that she had pointed out was completely true, but somehow the spirits had been with them last night and they hadn't gotten caught.

"You're right Katara, you're always right," Zuko huffed. "I want to be with you. You can tell Aang tomorrow that you can't love him because you're with me...if you want," he added, nervous after his overjoyed outburst.

"Of course I want to!" Katara exaclaimed, and threw her arms around _her_ Firelord and kissed him happily.

This was the happiest Zuko had been in a very long time, and it was because of his love for a _water bender!_

They laughed in amazement and thought the same thing:

_It's astounding how a year can change so much!_

**XOXO**

Aang was laughing at Momo while walking back to the tea shop. MoMo was trying to find piece of fruit in the mess that was Aang's disguise.

Aang was eavesdropping on different conversations along his walk. It was something he couldn't do with Katara, she would yell at him. Besides, it as just for _fun_! Aang snuck up to a group of girls and listened. The disguise he had on made it so that nobody would recognize him.

"I _swear_! The water bender from the Avatar's group was kissing the banished Fire Prince!" one of them exclaimed, trying to get her friends to believe her.

"Yeah right, Suni! And besides, he's the Fire_lord_ now," another girl answered.

"I saw them, I swear!" the first girl insisted.

"Oh - kaay..." another girl sarcastically agreed.

Aang's eyebrows knitted together. The girl must have been mistaken. Those two _hated_ each other.

Then he thought again. They _used_ to hate each other. Lately they seemed to have some sort of weird connection, even though they weren't speaking to each other at the moment. And Zuko took Katara to her room last night...

"Yeah right! Zuko and Katara together!" he exclaimed, and laughed for the rest of the way back. When he got back it was dark, and Iroh was closing the teashop for the night. Aang walked into the kitchen to see if Katara was there. She was, and she was already making dinner.

"Hey Katara! Did you have a nice day with Toph at the spa?" he asked cheerily. Her face was blank for a split second, but she quickly recovered, and Aang brushed it off.

"Yes Aang. Toph and I really needed a girl's day," Katara answered.

"I heard the funniest thing on the way home today. There was this group of girls arguing over whether or not one of them had seen you and Zuko kissing," Aang laughed, but Katara didn't seemt to find it funny. She looked shocked and her mouth was hanging open slightly. It clicked in Aang's mind. "They're wrong, right Katara?"

"Aang...I..." Tears rolled down Aang's cheeks, and consequently they rolled down Katara cheek's, too.

"Katara, how could you! You know I love you, that I was waiting for you. But you go around kissing _him_ anyway?"

"Aang, I was going to tell you tomorrow, I can explain!" Katara sputtered.

"How can you explain sneaking around with the new Firelord while the Avatar stands here _waiting_ for you, Katara? How?" Aang shouted.

"She doesn't need to explain. She chose me over you. It was her choice," came a low, angry voice from a shadow just outside of the doorway. Zuko stepped into the light, his amber eyes tinged with an angry red fire licking at his iris'.

"Zuko, get out of here. You aren't helping," Katara said icily.

"But - " Katara shot him a warning glare and he stomped out growling.

"So you chose to be with _him_? The guy who wants to fight your fights for you?" Aang said angrily, pointing in the direction Zuko had gone.

"You aren't any better than he is, Aang! And as much as I hate that he came in here and said that _for me_, he's right! I can choose to be with whoever I want! Zuko loves me and...well I love him!" Katara finished angrily. Aang was gaining control over his emotions again, and tried to talk her out of it.

"But don't you remember what Aunt Wu said? She said you'd marry a powerful bender! That's me!" Aang pointed out, and gestured to himself.

"You think you're the only powerful bender in the world, Aang? You forget who taught you fire bending, _Zuko did_. And you think he's not as powerful as you are?"

"But I'm the _Avatar_. I'm _the_ powerful bender! Don't you get that?" Aang argued.

"No Aang, you don't get it! Just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean you get everything you want, and it certainly doesn't mean you can have me just because I cracked you out of a hundred year old block of ice you stuck yourself in having a tantrum!" Katara yelled, and finally this shut Aang up. Aang stormed out of the tea shop, grabbing his glider on the way.


	14. Chapter 14

Katara sat in the kitchen, tears rolling down her cheeks. She never wanted to yell at Aang or make him feel that bad, but he had to understand her choice.

She heard a board creak in the doorway that Zuko had been in, and she knew that he was coming to try and comfort her.

"It'll be alright, Katara. You won't have to see him very often anymore," Zuko said softly.

Katara look at him, appalled.

"I want to see him, Zuko! I may not be in love with him but he's my friend! I don't just want to go back to the South Pole and see him once a year!" Katara screamed in hysteria at his words.

"The South Pole?" Zuko asked.

"Yes, Zuko, that's were I live," Katara said exasperatedly.

"I thought that you would want to come back to the Fire Nation with me..." Zuko said uncertainly. Katara's mouth had dropped open in disbelief.

"I've been away for near a year, a for most of the year you were hunting us. You think I'm just going to run off to the Fire Nation as your bride without spending even an hour with my family?" Katara screamed.

Zuko was speechless for a second.

"Um...no?" he offered.

"Don't lie! I know you want to go shopping with Sokka to find a stone for a betrothal necklace for me!" Katara accused with an irate finger pointed in his direction.

"What's a betrothal necklace?" Zuko asked. "And why would I be shopping for a rock with Sokka?" He looked completely oblivious.

"Katara couldn't believe that Zuko didn't know what a betrothal necklace was. Her mouth had dropped open into an 'o'.

"Well, um," Katara thought of how exactly to explain it for a second. "This," she pulled on her mother's necklace, "is a betrothal necklace. In the tradition of my people a man carves a stone and presents it to the girl he wants to marry as a necklace. Then they're promised to be married.

"You mean engaged?" Zuko asked, sitting down in the chair next to hers.

"What does that mean?" Katara asked.

"Same thing, promised to be married. In the Fire Nation you don't give the woman anything, you present her father with gifts. If he accepts them then the engagement is accepted. If he doesn't then the man must never speak to her again," Zuko explained.

"That's barbaric! How sexist!" Katara exclaimed.

"I know," Zuko agreed quietly.

For a while they were both silent. Zuko was thinking hard about the Water Tribe customs, and connecting it with that time that he and returned her necklace by tying it around her neck.

...Granted she was tied up to a tree and Zuko wasn't quite thinking straight because of how vulnerable the young Water Tribe girl looked.

But now that Zuko thought about it his taunting action could have meant more than either of them intended. Though he didn't know much about the customs of the Water Tribe he knew that anything as important as the tying of a betrothal necklace was binding - unknowing or not.

Zuko voiced his speculations, "Katara...don't get man, but...aren't we engaged now?" Katara looked as if she wanted to strangle him and spontaneously combust at the same time. "Wait! Let me explain. Do you remember that time I tied you to a tree?" Zuko asked, his face heating up.

"All for that silly water bending scroll? How could I forget!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed, "Anyway: I tied that necklace around your neck. So we're technically engaged, aren't we?"

"No," Katara said at once. "No, I'm sure that I would have had to accept it."

"You don't sound sure, and you did accept. You had thought you lost the necklace forever," Zuko reminded her.

"We might have to talk to my Gran Gran..." Katara said.

"Katara, do you not want to be engaged to me?"

She hesitated, "Zuko, it's far too soon."

"We don't have to be married right away! I'm not ready to be married, either. We can be engaged for however long we need," Zuko pleaded. But katara had just made up her mind on something.

"Zuko, I'm sorry for what I'm about to say, truly. But I never really gave Aang a chance. What if it's different without a war being fought around us? I have to at least try it," Katara looked down at her hands, scared at how Zuko would react.

"I thought we were talking as two adults, Katara! How many times to we have to go through this? Aang is only a child! And like you just said he can't have everything just because he's the Avatar!"

"I'm not everything," Katara said, trying to be witty.

"You are to me," Zuko said scathingly, and stormed out of the kitchen just as Aang had.

What had she done? She told Aang she had chosen Zuko, and she told Zuko that she wanted to be with Aang. Now who should she choose?


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the last chapter being so short, it was really just filler. I'm also sorry that I tricked you guys into thinking that it would be happy Zutara times. Well, I have it all planned out and I can tell you right now that it won't all be happy. But...aren't you happy I skipped a WHOLE YEAR of Kataang? Bleh, makes me sick.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

_One year later._

"Hurry up, Aang! We've got to go or else we'll miss the wedding!" Sokka yelled, panicking. He dragged Aang to the giant flying bison and tried to push him Appa's head. Katara laughed at the scene.

"You can't miss your own wedding, Sokka!" Katara laughed. Aang floated out of Sokka's grasp and blew our packs up to the saddle. She and Sokka clambered up to Appa's head.

"Yip yip!" Aang's adolescent voice rang out, and they were off to Kyoshi Island.

**XOXO**

Zuko helped Mai onto the small but quick ship. It was made the very same as the one he had chased Aang and the rest of the gang in so many months ago, nearly a year and a half.

"Why take this small battle ship? It's so dreary, and there isn't room for servants to come along," Mai complained in her monotone voice. Zuko sighed, and she thought the ship was dreary.

"That's the point, Mai. We don't need servants to go to Sokka's wedding, and it's fast," Zuko said tensely.

"Well then why don't you show me to my room, since we don't have any servants for such a task then, Zuko?" Mai asked, but it was never a question with her. It was always a command, even to the Fire Lord.

"As you wish, Mai," Zuko said in a monotone that matched hers.

"He led Mai to, in his old ship, what would have been his room. He bowed his head in her direction wordlessly. It took all of his power not to slam the heavy metal door shut. He stomped off to his room, one completely new to him. Before he got there, however, he ran into Iroh.

"Nephew! What has you so angry? It isn't Lady Mai again, is it?" he asked jovially.

"When is it not, Uncle? Remind me why we took her along again? She didn't want to come, anyway!" Zuko said angrily, but in a lowered voice so no guard would hear.

"It will be good for her, Zuko. She should get out of the palace more often, don't you think?"

"I couldn't agree more, Uncle," Zuko said, calming down now. "Would you like to spar, Uncle? I still have much to learn from you and we're a bit far from Kyoshi even with this fast ship," Zuko stated.

It was true. Though he had found the true source of fire bending he had yet to master blue fire and lightning.

The duo climbed towards the deck. Zuko shed his many robes that the Fire Lord was required to wear. He slid his crown with the Fire Nation emblem out of his topknot and let his hair fall. It now reached his shoulders.

The royal advisors had suggested that he grow it out as a traditional Fire Lord would. They also urged him to grow a beard, but Zuko refused. He felt he would look too much like his father. In all honestly Zuko was thinking about cutting a couple of inches off, and leaving just enough for a topknot.

His uncle shot fire at him and the spar began.

**XOXO**

"Settle down, Wifey. He'll be here," the blind earth bender said to a very worried Kyoshi Warrior. Toph kicked up her feet so she didn't have to feel Suki pace.

"I told him that if he wasn't here by noon today we would start without him!" Suki said angrily.

"You know, I hate to be the voice of reason here, but you can't really have a wedding without the groom," Toph shrugged to accentuate her statement. Toph heard Suki pause in her pacing.

"Yeah..." Suki admitted.

"Look, Wifey, stop worrying and go put on your dress. Even Sokka wouldn't miss his own wedding," Toph said, and got up to push her out of the room.

**XOXO**

"Look! There's Zuko's ship!" Aang's high voice rang out.

"Ooo, we should go say hi!" Sokka exclaimed.

"No, Sokka! We're already late as it is! We were supposed to be there yesterday!" Katara exclaimed.

Sokka pouted, "Fine." He crossed his arms and sat there silent, a nice change in Katara's opinion.

**XOXO**

"Sokka! Where have you been, son?" Hakoda exclaimed, and hugged him. "You were supposed to be here yesterday! What happened?"

"He couldn't find something for Zuko," Aang chirped.

"Was it that important?" Hakoda asked.

"Yep!" Sokka said shortly. "Anywaaay...where's Suki?" Katara thought it was kind of weird that Sokka changed subjects so fast, but brushed it off because it was his wedding day. What groom wouldn't be thinking about his bride?

"I told Wifey to put her dress on and stop worrying. So I guess you can't see her until the wedding," Toph said, walking onto the beach to join them.

Just then Zuko's ship docked on the island. A ramp was thrown down and Iroh came down first with Mai on Zuko's left arm after him.

"Miss Toph, Miss Katara! Good to see you! And how is the groom this fine noon?" he called out. Iroh was the same as ever. However, instead of his usual Earth Kingdom robes he was wearing his old Fire Nation robes.

Katara didn't have much time to notice this because she was too busy glaring at Mai. Then she huffed and reminded herself that she had chosen Aang, and looked away from the young Fire Lord and his lady.

"Hello, Hakoda. It's nice to see you in more peaceful times. Lady Katara, Avatar Aang," he nodded to each of them in turn. "And Sokka," Zuko added.

"You're forgetting me, Sparky!"

"On purpose, of course. I could never forget you!" She jumped o his back and Zuko ran off, leaving a very irritated Mai to be offered an arm by Iroh. The noble woman scowled while walking up the shore to the village of Kyoshi.

"Well, it looks like everybody is here!" Aang chirped.

"And then some," Katara muttered, the bored Lady of the Fire Nation popping into her heard.


	16. Chapter 16

"So what's up, Sparky? Why'd ya carry me off?" Toph asked, still on the Fire Lord's back.

"I have a plan," Zuko stated, and set the girl down.

"Last time your plan didn't go down very well and we both got screwed," Toph said bluntly. "Well, I guess _neither_ of us got scered, and _that's_ our problem." Toph laughed at her crude joke.

"That's vulgar," Zuko reprimanded her, and Toph stuck her tongue out.

"_I'm_ vulgar. So what's your plan?"

"Well, when we were in Ba Sing Se, I went shopping with Sokka - " Toph cracked up at this but Zuko went on, " - and I've been carving this ever since." Zuko held up a fire opal with a carving of a flame on it. A swirl of water led into the fire.

"You would think you of all people would have learned by now. I'm blind! What is it?" Toph asked irratably

"It's a fire opal. And I carved water combing with fire. Here," he gave it to her so she could feel the carving.

"Uh - huh. So I ask again, what's the plan?"

"I'm going to ask her to marry me, properly this time. She won't be able to refuse this time!" Zuko exclaimed triumphantly.

"Good for you Sparky. What about me and Aang?" Toph asked. She was rooting for a Sugar and Spice relationship and all, but mostly because she liked Aang a little too much. So coincidentally, it _would_ make everything nice.

"I was thinking about that, and I think that if you want to start an earth bending academy you should get Aang's help. It will give you two time together and you'll get even more students when people hear the Avatar is teaching with you," Zuko explained.

"Who knew you were the plotting type! When are ya gonna pop the question, then?" Toph asked, jumping onto his back again.

"Everybody knows I'm the plotting type. I hunted the Avatar, after all. And tomorrow, I don't want to outdo the wedding."

And with that Zuko ran into the village with a cackling earth bender on his back.

XOXO

"I can't believe Zuko ran off with Toph. Suki must be _so WORRIED_!" Sokka exclaimed, pausing in his own worrying to yell about Suki's.

"Calm down, Sokka. I only wanted to catch up with her," Zuko said, effectively announcing his presence in the doorway.

Aang grinned at Zuko. "We haven't seen you in _forever_! What have you been doing? you don't even write that often!" Aang exclaimed.

"You know, just running a country," Zuko joked. Sokka cracked up.

"Aaaaah, good one!"

Aang and Zuko looked at each other, worried for Sokka's sanity. Aang had long ago put away any resentment towards Zuko. The kiss was obviously a mistake and both of them had felt bad about it. Katara had chosen him and that's all that mattered. And it wouldn't do any good for the Fire Lord and the Avatar to be feuding over a girl.

Zuko wasn't mad at Aang. The airbender had no part in Katara's decision to be with him. He felt something like pity towards the tattooed boy instead. Katara had chosen him because she felt sorry for him. She chose him because she felt obligated to love the Avatar when the Avatar had chosen to lvoe her. Aang was chosen over Zuko because he was the Avatar, and that trumped Fire Lord.

It was unfair to Zuko, but the young Fire Lord had already been so unlucky. Zuko sighed, he supposed he should be used to being a second choice by now.

XOXO

"Where's Mai? I thought she was coming," Suki asked when Toph came in.

"I'm sure she thinks being a bridesmaid at an Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe wedding is incredibly beneat her. She already _acts_ like the Fire Lady," Katara seethed. Toph doubled over laughing at the angry Katara. Suki just looked confused.

"Mai _is_ going to be the Fire Lady, though! Right?" Suki asked confusedly.

"Oh Sugarqueen, just tell her already! She won't care, and I'm sure she can keep a secret from Sokka, right, Wifey?" Toph said inbetween chuckles.

"Tell me _what_?" Suki asked, frustrated.

Katara sighed, Toph was right. Suki wouldn't tell her brother, and she needed someone a little more sympathetic in on her secret than Toph.

"That Zuko and I had sort of a...thing, at the end of the war," Katara explained.

"What! Tell me the whole thing! How did it start? _When _did it start?" Suki squealed.

Katara explained what had first happened with the tents and the rain. She left out the inner fire part, she wanted that to be shared between only Zuko and herself. Then she spoke about how they had saved each others lives. It was the first time either of them had spoken about the Agni Kai. Suki gasped in all the right places, and Toph said 'Nice job, Sparky!' when Katara told of how he had jumped in front of Azula's lightning that was heading towards Katara.

"And then I chained up Azula and healed Zuko. There's a huge starburst scar on his chest, because it stopped his heart," Katara said.

"Wow," Suki said in awe.

Then Katara told of how she ended up sleeping with Zuko in his bed, and that it was the smae day that she told him that she didn't mean what she had said on Appa. She paused to catch her breath.

"Huh, so that's it? You turned him down because you love Aang?" Suki asked.

"Not exactly. The night we arrived in Ba Sing Se I had a nightmare that I couldn't heal him and so he died. So I woke up crying and he took me to my room while Aang and Iroh took you guys to your rooms," Katara explained.

"Yeah, I remember that," Suki said, remembering, "I guess it was a little odd."

"Yes, he wanted to tell me that he was going to try to win my heart that whole vacation and that as far as he was concerned he and Mai were broken up as long as they were in Ba Sing Se. And well, one thing led to another and..." Katara blushed profusely.

"And they ended up on the bed making enough vibrations to keep up any blind earth bender in the city," Toph finished.

"You - you _slept with him_?" Suki squealed, eyes wide in shock. She had never expected something this good!

"Do you really think Zuko would do that? He's all about the _honor_ if you haven't forgotten. But there _was_ a shirt off," Toph waggled her eyebrows at a stunned Suki.

"Not mine! His!" Katara exclaimed guiltily, holding up her hands as if caught. Toph cracked up laughing once again.

"And I had only guessed!" Toph cried. Katara's face absolutely _burned_.

"Anyway," Suki shot a look at Toph, who sobered up a little, "What happened next?"

"That morning Iroh caught us," this serious statement caused another burst of cackles to be spilled from Toph, "He was _so_ mad at Zuko. I still don't know what Iroh said to him when he dragged him out. Then - there was breakfast."

"Oh no," Suki said, catching Katara's exasperated tone.

"Oh no is right," Katara agreed, and told them of Aang's hand-holding, and of Zuko's jealous thigh-grabbing that ensued. "It was like the most sexist game of tug-o-war ever." Suki giggled at Katara's analogy.

"Then you and Zuko went ouside," Suki recalled, "What happened?"

"We argued, I slapped him, he froze up, we made up, and kissed. AFter that we spent the day together. But some girl had seen the new Fire Lord kissing the Avatar's girlfriend. Aang overheard her telling her friends on the way back from the palace that night. he joked abou tit with me, but then _I _froze up, and Aang found out. So Aang got really mad and argued that he should get me because he was the Avatar, and that Zuko was only the Fire Lord. I told him that he couldn't get everything he wanted just because he was the Avatar, and he ran off."

"Oh, but that's not it!" Toph exclaimed happily, knowing this part of the story as she had eavesdropped on it.

"What else could possibly happen?" Suki asked exasperatedly.

"Zuko was standing outside the whole time, and actually interjected once in our argument. When Aang left I srted crying. Zuko said something stupid about me not having to see Aang anymore to try and comfort me."

"Oh give him a break, that's the only time he's ever tried to comfort _anybody_!" Toph defended him.

"Well I gogt mad, we argued, and he pretty much expected me to marry him because we spent the day together," Katara explained.

"That sounds more like Sokka than Zuko," Suki observed.

"Yeah, I guess it does. Anyway, that's when I decided that I hadn't given Aang a real chance. So I told that to Zuko and - "

"He stormed out?" Suki guessed, and Katara nodded. "So...why are you dating Aang?"

Katara blinked. What would make her ask that?

"Because I love him," Katara said as if Suki had lost her mind.

"Oh. Well...it just sounded like you felt sorry for Aang and that's why...and like you maybe really liked Zuko, but...it's your choice. If you love Aang then you made the right choice," Suki finished determinedly.

Toph suddenly had a bright idea.

"I'm about to tell you both something, and it's not to repeated. Got it?"

Katara and Suki nodded seriously.

"I like Aang. Don't even tell me that _of course_ I should, that we're friends," she said when Katara opened her mouth to say precisely that, "I like him _more_ than that. I want to be _more_ than friends with Twinkletoes."

"Oh," Katara looked dumbfounded, but not mad. "That's kind of sweet, Toph," she smiled.

"Well, there you have it. You may love Aang, but not in the kissey relationship way. You love him in a doting mother kind of way," Toph told her.

This made Katara angry. Who was Toph to say that she didn't lvoe Aang in _that_ way!

"Of course I love him - in the first way!" she yelled angrily. Toph just smirked.

"No, you really don't. ARen't you even the littlest bit mad at me""

"No, but - "

"No 'buts' Sugarqueen. You don't care because you're in love with Zuko, not Aang!" Toph said gleefully.

Katara was angry. She did _not_ love Zuko! She had left him for Aang a whole year ago. She said this to Toph. "Right, Suki?" Katara looked to the bride for backup.

"Um, I kinda agree with Toph," Suki said timidly.

Katara felt defeated. Did she love Zuko? She thought about all that had happened at the end of the war and just after. A wistful smile appeared on her lips, and she took this as a yes.

"Well...maybe I do," Katara conceded. The two girls clapped and cheered. Katara held her hands up. "But he has Mai, and I have Aang, and for now, at least, it'll stay like that."

Toph decided to let Zuko do the rest when he proposed tomorrow. At least she admitted that she loved Zuko, that was a start.

"Alright Sweetness, I'm not gonna waste the rest of the time arguing with you. It's almost sunset, Suki. You ready?" Toph asked.

"I just need to put my headpiece on and then I'm ready," she answered.

Katara handed her the headpiece of her Kyoshi warrior outfit.

"Why do you have to wear this thing, anyway?" Toph asked.

It's traditional since I'm the head warrior. Since I'm not stepping down from that my headpiece signifies that I'm still the girl's leader," Suki explained, adjusting her clothing nervously.

"That's deep, and now it's time! I can feel it," Toph exclaimed, hopping up.

"You look gorgeous, Suki. Everything is going to be perfect," Katara told her. And she really did. The Kyoshi warrior was breathtaking in a traditional Kyoshi dress. The arms were long and glowing, and the long train was dragged behind her. The dress was in many different shades of green, emerald, olive...The back of the dress was cut in a deep v shape that fell to her waist.

"Are we supposed to hold the train up for you?" Katara asked.

"No, no. It's supposed to drag on the ground. It brings balance and connetion from the Earth," Suki said.

"I've always wondered why a bride has to get her dress all dirty to feel balanced and connected to the Earth. Why not just go barefoot?" Toph asked, half jokingly. The three girls laughed.

Suki's father, the chief of Kyoshi Island, walked up to them.

"Everybody is ready, it's time," he smiled.

"Katara and Toph went to take their places as the brides maids. Zuko and Aang were already on the other side of Sokka.

The wedding was in a clearing in the forest opening out to the shore. There were dozens of chairs set up, with an aisle inbetween them all. A shallow trough in the shape of a circle was at the end of the aisle. Sokka was already standing inside of the circle. He was wearing a simple Earth tunic with a majestic and very heavy fur lined cloak traditionally worn at a Water Tribe wedding. Toph and Katara were on the left, and the boys were on the right.

Next came the Kyoshi Warriors. Katara shook her head and smiled when she saw Ty Lee, she still couldn't believe she had become a Kyoshi Warrior. They moved in an intricate pattern, slashing the ground at certain parts with their golden fans. They knelt outside of the trough in a circle, leaving an opening.

Next came Suki and her father. He led her down the aisle slowly. When they reached the circle the Chief slid her hand into Sokka's, and Sokka helped her step over the shall depression. Suki turned so that her long train was all contained within the circle.

The ceremony started. It lasted until the sinking sun touched the ocean. The now joined couple turned towards their friends, family, and their village. Sokka threw off the traditional cloak, and stepped out of the circle with his new wife.

It was decided a few months earlier, that Sokka would relinquish his claim to Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Suki was an only child, so when her father passed Sokka would become the Chief of Kyoshi Island. So when he threw off that traditional cloak, he was symbolizing his relinquished claim to his former home.

Now it fell on Katara's shoulders, the responsibility of leading a tribe...but she didn't want to think about that right now.

"Let's _party_!" Sokka shouted, and ran off with Suki towards the reception tent. Everybody laughed and ran behind them, their excitedness catching on.

"Come on, Katara!" Aang laughed, and grabbed her hand to run with her.

Katara noticed, before she ran off with Aang, that a quite annoyed looking Mai was slowly being led by a blank -faced Zuko.

_What a pair_, Katara thought. Then she ran to the reception with her air bender.

**Well, you might have noticed that I added on to the chapter. I ran out of time typing it one night, but I wanted to get something up...but now it's completely finished!**

**Please review :) I'd love to know what you all think of it so far.**

**Also: don't worry. It's going to end up Zutara.**


	17. Chapter 17

Everybody quickly filled up the quite large tent they had set up for the reception. Aang and Katara were the second couple in the tent, and already Sokka and Suki were dancing madly. The band hadn't even made it into the tent yet, as they were people of Kyoshi Island and were present at the wedding. It was like the cutest victory dance ever.

Aang tried to cajole Katara into dancing, but she refused. _There's no music!_ she had exclaimed. Aang had said something about that not really being the point and danced by himself. Katara shook her head, how could music not be the point of dancing? You had to have one to have the other.

Katara crossed her arms and waited for a fellow non-dancer to keep her dignity intact with. She didn't have to wait long because most of the people made it to the reception tent in record time to join in the festivities. The musicians had huffed and puffed into the tent just after Aang had started to dance. They quickly picked up their instruments and looked at each other quite confusedly. It had all been discussed (a lot of things had been discussed) and the reception was supposed to start out with a slow song. The bride and groom would have their first dance, then the two bridesmaids and groomsmen would join in. It had also been decided that instead of Aang and Katara dancing together as a couple, Zuko and Katara would be paired and Toph and Aang would be paired. Suki's father had argued that it would look nicer and make a lot more sense. Aang had tried to pull his 'I'm the Avatar' card out in protest of this, but Suki's father had pulled his 'I'm the father of the bride and the chief of this island and I'm going to uphold tradition and my family's high standing on this island, and to do that you will have to dance with the little earth bender because you are both short' card. Suki's dad won.

Suki's father walked in and spoke with the musicians, and they promptly started playing the sweet melody that had been agreed upon by both families. Toph walked in and promptly asked, _Where's Twinkletoes?_ She saw him, pulled him to the center of the tent, and started slow dancing with him, just like Sokka and Suki were now doing.

Katara looked around for Zuko but couldn't see him over the incredible crowd. Katara never would have guessed that this many people would be at any of their weddings. But since Suki was the chief's daughter it was kind of mandatory for everybody to come, and most would have anyway even if Suki wasn't the chief's daughter. The villagers on Kyoshi Island were close from living so close together and apart from the rest of the Earth Kingdom. It was kind of like how close her village was at the South Pole. There weren't many of them, they all lived close together, and their village was the only thing there was down there. It really formed a unique bond and provided a sense of family and community.

Katara saw Bato clapping her father on the back, and they were both looking a little sad. It was understandable, because Bato was a little like an uncle to Sokka and her. They were sad that Sokka was already married, and how fast things went. They were also probably sad that they weren't there for the past couple of years, and she knew how both of them felt terribly about that. But Sokka and I understood now, after fighting in the war ourselves. Sacrifices had to be made.

Katara finally spotted Zuko at the edge of the tent with Mai. Zuko said something to her and Mai looked at him adoringly. Katara felt a stab of jealousy. Before she had always felt something like superiority to the noble woman because of how she thought the couple weren't right for each other. This was the first time that she had seen something actually good between them, and it stung. Katara knew she was being completely irrational but took delight in interrupting them anyway.

"Come on Zuko, we have to dance. You know how it's such a big deal for Suki's dad," Katara said, acting like she didn't _really_ want to dance with Zuko, but she would humor the chief. Not that she actually had a choice in the matter, of course.

Zuko smiled at Mai and kissed her cheek, and then led Katara to the dance floor. Technically it had been Katara who had pulled him, but the Zuko liked to pretend that Katara respected his title of Fire Lord sometimes.

"Let's get this over with," Katara grumbled to him. It was partly because she really, _really_ hated dancing, and partly because dancing with Zuko was going to be excruciatingly awkward. They hadn't really talked about anything or what happened after that night in Ba Sing Se. Zuko was extremely hurt and offended, and Katara was incredibly confused about everything. Katara had made Zuko feel ridiculous for assuming such fanciful fantasies of Katara coming back to the Fire Nation to live in the palace and become his wife eventually. Katara was confused because she kind of did want to go back to the Fire Nation with Zuko, but wanted independence, too. Aang seemed like the epitome of freedom and independence, so it just made sense to her at the time to try things out with him to see what it would be like without war raging on all sides.

So all this pent up feeling would have to just stay pent up for slow dance, after that it could explode all it wanted, but they would soon be on opposite sides of the world again and it would be a lot simpler to deal with from there.

Zuko led stiffly at first, but eventually relaxed into it and dancing gracefully. He was an expert at this sort of thing, growing up in a palace naturally, and he wanted to at least enjoy his few moments with Katara. Even if it was all exceptionally awkward, he pretended it wasn't. Katara was glad about this, because his fantastic leading skills made sure that her awful dancing skills never showed through too badly.

The dynamic duo avoided each other as well as possible for the rest of the night. Katara was guilted into dancing with Aang by Aang using his impossible to resist rabiroo eyes. She made a fool out of herself and Toph reassured her that at least Aang was a great dancer, otherwise Katara would never have a chance from recovering from the embarrassment.

Everyone, especially Sokka and Suki, had quite a few drinks. Some, like her father and Bato, had a little bit _too_ much to drink. Katara had none, a little to her dismay. Aang refused to have any and encouraged her to do the same. At one point he actually made a speech about the importance of keeping a clear head at all times, and Toph gave him a little less-than-affectionate punch on the arm and said to stop embarrassing himself and let us all enjoy the party. Katara silently agreed, but after that Aang just took to pointing out all the evils of alcohol to her. She wasn't really paying attention, though, and to show Aang that he couldn't dictate what she could and could not do she grabbed a glass full from a tray and drained it while Aang looked on dumbfounded.

"Katara! I just said that that stuff wasn't good for you! What are you doing?" Aang admonished.

"I'm having fun and _enjoying the party_. Toph is right, why can't we have a little fun every once in a while?" Katara snapped.

Aang looked hurt and Katara nearly apologized right then and there. But she was so angry when he was telling her to not drink, she just had to! She wanted to prove a point, that she wasn't going to be nice and obedient anymore. She'd been plenty nice and obedient for the last year, and she was sick of it. She was _not_ a thing. Katara had already gotten enough sexism from her brother and her sister tribe, and both of those she had fought hard on to get on equal footing. Now her brother was married to a strong female warrior, and she was a master waterbender. Katara had no reason to take anymore of Aang's outdated spiel on her being _his girl_.

Katara shouted all of this at him and stormed off and out of the tent only to run straight into a very bored Fire Lord.

Zuko looked up from his feet in surprise and then back down again. "Uh, Katara," he stammered.

"Don't worry, you don't have to say anything," Katara said snappily, angry at herself and at Aang. She pushed past him and out into the warm night air.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

And we're back with a bang! Or...I'm back. Whatever, I use the royal we.

I would like you all to know how much I appreciate the reviews. Seriously, it makes me smile and it makes me want to hop on my laptop and start typing away on this story for you. Like, so much love for you guys. You can all have a turn dancing with Zuko, though he might get a little grumpy. But then, don't we like him grumpy?

So. After read _Stalking Zuko_ and _Not Stalking Zuko_, both written by the lovely emletish, I feel I am hugely dissatisfied with this fic. Like, monumentally.

I feel like everything is very short and choppy and not properly delved into. It doesn't flow like it should and it's certainly not dealing with a lot of things. I think now that's it's really unthought out (ha ha, ironic). I also really don't like the third person aspect of it, it works really well when other people do it and I'd thought I would try it out. I don't know, I just don't really like it and think I could do so much better after some research and some soul searching into Katara.

Because I kind of hate writing Katara. There, I said it.

She's so happy and hopeful and is such an absolute optimist. I can't identify with this, but I can identify with Zuko, thus making him easier to write. But that's another ramble. Anyway, I guess I kind of see Katara as a rather flat character that doesn't change throughout the series. The problem is, she _does_. She just changes a whole lot less thatn everybody else, because they have some serious changes to make and she has more subtle ones. She's of an emotional maturity slightly above the rest of the Gaang and matched only by Zuko, who has been made this way from all the crap he's been put through in the last couple of years and how he grew up. Katara has matured like this for almost the same reason - losing her mother. She feels that she now has to take on the role of mother for Sokka and Hakoda and it just...ages her.

This whole emotional maturity thing is why I think Kataang is a little weird. (No hate to the Kataang lovers!) It's just, Katara is two years older than Aang. 12 and 14 is a _huge_ deal when you're that age, because everything really drastically changes in those two years. Also, Katara naturally feels maternal towards Aang because it's in her nature, and her mother dying when she was so young was like a huge catalyst in Katara's development. She was always going to turn out maternal and kind and caring. So I really can't see her loving Aang in a romantic way, he's like a brother or son to her.

And Aang...is just way, way too young. Like, it's creepy guys. I get the innocent crush he has on her in the beginning. He's twelve, she's two years older and beatiful, not to mention an amazing water bender. Hell, _I_ had a crush on a fourteen year old when I was twelve, everybody crushed on somebody older than them at twelve. But they got over it because there wasn't a true chance of it happening. Some crushes people hold on to for a while, that's understandable. I get the kiss on the Day of Black Sun, Aang is usually straightforward and not roundabout in things. The only reason he hasn't told her sooner is because he's _twelve_. He doesn't know exactly what to do about it all.

And I'm not even going to bring up the kiss on EIP. Like...that's a whole nother rant right there. Just...augh. Anyway.

So basically I'm okay with everything up until Day of the Black Sun. But the EIP kiss was never discussed (neither was the Day of Black Sun kiss) and it's left pretty badly with Katara storming off. Then at the end they kiss 'passionately' (quoting Avatar Wiki on this one) and end up having three children together. Like what? Did I miss something? Why did Katara reject him all those times and never talk about it if she totally had the hots for him and wanted to marry him and junk?

To put it in Sokka's words: It was all very unclear. (Or something like that.)

Please tell me how you think this fic is (choppy, flowy, character development, etc.)

Love you all!


	18. Chapter 18

Katara fled to the nearby training building. Nobody ran after her, but she didn't want to take chances on somebody following her and trying to comfort her so she climbed up to the roof. She didn't deserve comfort for yelling at Aang. She loved Zuko, and yet she still yelled at Aang.

A sigh escaped her and she lay back on the roof. It was a full moon – of course it was. A water tribe wedding was always on the full moon, she had forgotten. Katara flipped onto her stomach and looked to the ocean. She wondered if she could pull some water from it even if she was this far away. She could do some crazy things on the full moon.

She stood up slowly so she didn't lose her balance and fall off of the roof. Katara shifted into her water bending pose and tried to pull the water. She succeeded in pulling a small sphere and floated it towards herself.

Katara grinned and carefully lay on her back again. She pulled it into tendrils and other simple shapes. It was relaxing to water bend. Katara decided she and Aang would have a more civil conversation in the morning. For now she tried to put it out of her mind.

Lying on the roof pulling apart the water and knitting it back together again, her thoughts wandered and eventually reflected on the past year. She had gone home to the South Pole after Ba Sing Se. Aang had flown her because Sokka had gone with Suki to Kyoshi Island. Suki needed to be with her warriors and Sokka needed her father's permission to marry Suki.

She and Aang had held hands, and he kissed her cheek and they both smiled. It was sweet and easy. But once they had reached her tribe Aang had to leave. He had stayed one night and then left.

Toph had stayed in Ba Sing Se, as she had found a suitable piece of real estate. They had all wondered at little Toph buying a house in the upper ring of the city. She had said that she didn't want to live with her parents and had the money anyway, so why not?

Katara had protested this.

**XOXO**

_"Toph! You have to at least visit your parents and ask their permission before buying a really expensive house in Ba Sing Se!" Katara had admonished. No matter how overprotective Toph's parents were, they loved her and deserved to at least see Toph again before she began living alone in Ba Sing Se._

_ "Katara, I ran away. I don't have to ask their permission for anything anymore. And it was the least they could do, paying for that house! Soon I'll be earning my own money, anyway. I'm the only metal bender in the entire world, my prices will be steep. And it isn't like this is a shifty city, or a bad part of the city! It was completely unaware of the war until we came along!" Toph argued._

_ "Fine, I can see I won't change your mind. But at least pay a visit to your parents to show them that you're fine. And maybe tell them that you used a _ridiculous_ amount of money to buy a fancy house," Katara pleaded._

_ "Fine, Sweetness. If it makes you happy. I'll go with you and Aang so you can see for yourself me walking into my parent's house. Satisfied?_

_ She was._

**XOXO**

That was why Aang had to leave so quickly, to save Toph from her parents. Apparently it had gone terribly, and Katara had to send Toph a letter apologizing for pushing her.

The rest of the year had been pretty uneventful. Aang visited mostly every month, if he couldn't make it one month he'd bring gifts for her from wherever he'd been held up the next month. He was taking his Avatar duties seriously. Katara started on rebuilding her tribe. It was a long, grueling process, though, because she was still the only water bender in her tribe. Her father had offered to ask the Northern Water Tribe to send some benders down, but Katara had told him not to. A lot of benders had been lost in the Siege of the North – which she found out, was what people were calling it – and they were probably still mourning their losses. She wanted to respect their grieving because she felt partly responsible for the Siege. It was her and Aang, after all, who first decided to go to the Northern Water Tribe to learn waterbending.

It got tedious after a while, living back at home. There was no adventure, just lots of work to be done. The whole tribe pitched in, of course, but she did a lot of work because she could bend. Aang tried to help them out when he visited, but Katara insisted that his time at the South Pole was his break.

And at night, when it got too cold to work, all the families had dinner in their own igloos and went immediately to bed so they could get up early the next day and do it all again. Her father and GranGran were the only ones there with her for the first couple of months. Sokka came back four months after Katara. Aang had given him a ride on Appa. Apparently they didn't head straight to the South Pole, though. They spent a couple of days in the Fire Nation Royal Palace and Ba Sing Se. Sokka had wanted to invite Zuko and Toph to Suki and Sokka's wedding personally. Aang had thought that Sokka should invite Bumi, and Sokka had said, "That's your crazy old friend, Aang, not mine."

Hawky also came back with Sokka, but he sent him off with a wedding invitation to Piandao after a couple of days of doting over the bird. Suki took care of sending out the rest of the invitations.

Sokka didn't help rebuild as much as talk to their father about the chief-issues that would arise when he married Suki. Katara, at first, paid no attention to the two men.

But then they called her in from working on the village on day.

**XOXO**

_"Katara, I need to speak to you about a very serious matter. As you know, Sokka will be marrying Suki at the end of this year. We've been discussing it, and he feels it is best that he live on Kyoshi Island after the wedding. In conjunction with this he will be giving up his birthright to be chief," her father said._

_ "So who's going to be chief, then?" Katara asked._

_ "You are, Katara," her father said._

_ Katara was dumbfounded. She would be the next chief of her tribe? Sure, she was the next person in line, but she never truly expected to become chief. When Sokka had proposed she had never thought of how that would affect her. She had been a little bit of a mother figure to the Gaang, but lead a people? _Her_ people?_

"_Oh, uh…okay," Katara's articulation had left her._

_ "Katara, I know it's a little shocking. And I know that I promised you that I wouldn't ever force you to marry, but – "_

_ "Dad! Are you saying you want me to get married now that I'm going to be chief? Who would I get married to?" Katara yelled._

_ "No! No, that's not what I was saying. I'm just saying that leading a tribe is a lot easier with a partner…and you know the customs, Katara. Unlike our sister tribe we can have female leaders, but they _must_ be married to a member of the Water Tribe. I wish I was wrong in the interpretation of the customs, but it can't be Aang. His duty is first and foremost to the world, not our tribe."_

**XOXO**

Katara sighed. She'd thought a lot about getting married and becoming chief. There wasn't many young men in the Water Tribe, and none of them really appealed to her. They felt like they were above Katara because they fought in the war. They didn't even _recognize_ that she had, too. She had played a key role in Aang saving the world!

And now she had to get married to one of those sexist pigs to become chief. Katara twisted the water into a heart, and tore it apart.

"Stupid Mai," Katara muttered. She knew it was really her own fault for pushing Zuko away and going for something simpler with Aang. But it was far easier to be angry at Mai than angry at herself.

"She's actually quite intelligent," Zuko said from behind her. Katara let the water she was bending drop and sat up. She turned around to face him. He was sitting on the roof with his legs dangling off one side of the roof.

"I – I didn't mean – "

"I know what you meant. I've thought the same thing about Aang more times than I can count," Zuko said, staring off at the ocean.

"It's my fault," Katara said, the ocean entrancing her eyes as well.

"No, we were both wrong. But I don't think it's the right time to discuss it," Zuko said, still not looking at her. Katara snuck a glance at his profile.

"How did you know I was up here?" she asked.

"I heard your fight with Aang, and you bumped into me on your way out. You snapped at me," he chuckled.

"What's so funny about that?" Katara retorted.

"It used to be so familiar, and I think that's what I've been missing the past year," he joked, and looked over and grinned at her.

Katara glared at him, "You're not nearly sulky enough for my tastes, because that's what _I_ missed." They both laughed.

They looked at one another for a moment, before Katara pulled him into a hug. "I really have missed you," Katara whispered. She found herself getting teary, and sniffled a bit.

Zuko squeezed her back, "I've missed you, too, Katara." Neither one of them wanted to let go, and so they held on for a couple of minutes. Eventually they did separate, but kept close.

"So how's the palace treating you? Everything as you imagined it would be?" Katara asked.

"It's nice, but sometimes I prefer traveling around the Earth Kingdom by myself, or traveling with you guys. It's a lot to take in, and I still have so much to learn and so much to do to get the Fire Nation back on its feet. Sometimes I wish Uncle had become Fire Lord, but I know that we would have never settled on a peace treaty with the Earth Kingdom if he had," he explained. "But how about you? Is your village being rebuilt?"

Katara sighed, "It is."

"You don't sound very happy about it, I thought you would have been excited," Zuko said.

"I am excited about it, it's just so exhausting rebuilding it because I'm the only waterbender," Katara explained. Zuko looked confused and asked the question that her father had asked.

"Why don't you get Northern waterbenders? There are hundreds."

"Not anymore, not after the Siege. A lot of waterbenders died during the day and when the Moon spirit was dead. "

"Oh," Zuko said.

"Yeah," she said. It was uncomfortable talking about the Siege with Zuko, who had at the time been on the wrong side of the war. They were quiet, until Katara blurted out, "I'm going to be chief."

"What?" Zuko asked, stunned.

"Sokka can't be chief anymore, because he's going to be chief of Kyoshi Island. So that leaves me, but I have to get married or I can't be chief. I have to marry an ugly, cocky, sexist pig from my tribe," Katara said all at once.

"_What?_" Zuko asked again.

"Being the Fire Lord for a year I'd think you'd be more articulate," Katara sighed, rest her elbows on her knees and set her chin in her hands.

"I don't really know what to say to that…" Zuko said. "Chief?

Katara sighed, "Yup, chief."

"Married?"

"Yes, Zuko. That's what I said. I have to get married to some guy from my tribe who thinks he's the greatest thing ever because he fought in the war," Katara grumbled.

"But you fought in the war, too! You probably did more than they ever did! You trained the Avatar and fought with him!" Zuko exclaimed.

"That's exactly my point! Why can't they be more like you?" Katara said, before she realized what she was saying.

Zuko blushed, and suddenly Katara saw that he was the same Zuko as a year ago, just a lot more confident. Or he at least appeared to be a lot more confident.

"I'm having marriage problems, too. All my advisors are pushing me to get married to Mai. But we're both so young, and…" he trailed off.

"And you still want a chance with me," Katara finished.

"Well…yeah, but – "

Katara cut him off, "No. I think right now is the perfect time to talk about this. We can't keep putting it off. Aang and I have never communicated well, and look where that's gotten us! We have _got_ to do something about, well, us."

"If you really want to talk about it then I'd like you to go first. Because I have some things that I want to say and I don't want to be interrupted, because it's really important that you hear all of it," Zuko told her.

"Fine, I will. I love you, Zuko. And I'm with Aang right now because it's a hell of a lot simpler than loving you. I'm scared to be with you because so much comes with that. And I guess I'm scared because it would be a different relationship than I have with Aang, more serious I guess. If it worked out between us that would give me some serious responsibilities, like becoming Fire Lady, that I don't know that I want. And even though the war is over and I know that my father respects you and likes you well enough, he would never approve because of what the Fire Nation has done to my family."

"Alright, my turn. I'm with Mai right now because we're friends and she loves me. It's better to have someone love you than no one at all. She'd also make the perfect Fire Lady in the long run. But I don't care about "the perfect wife" because I love you, Katara. I don't know how it happened, or when it started, or why, but I do. I can prove to your father that, and I'm sure all he wants if for you to be happy. If you just _tried_ to be with me you wouldn't have to marry somebody that you don't like."

"There you go talking about me marrying you, again! We barely know each other, really, and you want to marry me! It's ridiculous!" Katara yelled.

"You were talking about marriage, too! The only way you'd become Fire Lady is if you _married_ me. So you can't deny you haven't thought about it! Who cares if we barely know each other? We love each other, isn't that enough? We'll get to know each other if you just give it a chance!" Zuko shouted.

"And what would you do about Mai, huh? Like you said, she _loves_ you. She'd make the _perfect_ _wife_. Why want me when I would struggle and fight but never be as good as her?"

"Katara! That isn't the point! I don't _want_ to marry her, but I will if I have to! I can only wait so long before I'll be pushed into a marriage with her! I can't wait for you forever, even if I want to!" he shouted at her.

"You're the _Fire Lord_. Just say that you don't want to get married right now! You're the ruler, you make the rules!" Katara said, frustrated.

"I'm bound by customs, I _don't_ make the rules. I have to marry before eighteen or the throne passes to the next in line! My uncle doesn't want to be Fire Lord, and the Earth Kingdom wouldn't accept him," Zuko exclaimed.

"Oh Tui, you're seventeen and it's almost your birthday," Katara said softly.

Zuko sighed, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"I'm sorry, too," Katara said.

"I wish we didn't have to think about getting married to _anyone_ right now. I'm just not ready," Zuko said quietly.

"Me neither," she agreed.

"But it doesn't matter. We have to, and that's that," Zuko said. Katara didn't know if he was talking about the two of them getting married, or each of them getting married to somebody else.

"If we ever did get married, would I even be accepted as the Fire Lady since I'm not from the Fire Nation?" Katara asked.

"There are no rules against it," Zuko answered. They were silent as they thought about that.

"We should probably get back to the party," Katara said, and started to climb down from the roof, but Zuko's hand stopped her.

"Wait," he said and Katara sat back down.

"What is it?" Katara asked.

"I've got to ask you something," Zuko said. He bit his lip, which Katara found irresistible. He still didn't say anything, but chewed on his lip. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and placed it on his heart. It was racing, but the beats were erratic. He was nervous, what did that mean? Zuko sucked it a deep breath, "Katara, I know that this is a horrible way to ask you, right after we've had a fight the night of your brother's wedding. And it might seem that I'm asking this so soon because I don't want to spend the rest of my life with Mai, but it's not. It's because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Katara's eyes widened, "Zuko…"

"Katara, will you marry me?" He pulled out a necklace with a pendant on it and showed it to her.

Katara started crying, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The stone was a stunning red, and a swirl of water was melting into a flame. It was hung on black silk, and had a golden clasp.

She couldn't form words, and so she just nodded and kissed him. She pulled away and wiped her eyes, and saw that he was crying, too. This made more tears stream down her cheeks, and she kissed him again. They clung to each other in that perfect moment, until Zuko finally spoke.

"Can I put it on?" he asked, his usual confident voice gone with his happy tears. Katara untied her mother's necklace and set it on her lap. She shifted around and lifted up her hair. Zuko brought it around her neck and fastened it.

She turned around and kissed him again, the tears still coming, "Oh, Zuko."

"I love you, Katara," Zuko whispered.

"I love you, too," Katara replied softly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

First off I want to say thank you to the wonderful reviewers! You're really what keeps me writing this, thank you so much.

I loved writing this chapter. For the beginning I wanted you guys to know what had been happening for the past year with some of the characters, and Katara's thoughts on living in the Water Tribe and rebuilding it without her friends. It must be jarring to go from exciting and dangerous adventures every week and traveling the world to being stuck at the South Pole with only her father and GranGran, and being the only waterbender again.

I also wanted to go back to when Toph said that she was going to go hunt for a 'suitable piece of real estate' a couple of chapters ago in Ba Sing Se when she left our favorite couple by themselves for the day. In my opinion Toph wouldn't go back to her parent's house because of how over protective they are, but wouldn't start an earthbending/metalbending school for a few years. She would want a break, and so would need a place to live. Ba Sing Se is a logical choice for her, because it's the earthbending capital and Iroh lives there. Toph would definitely miss her parents, no matter how much they over-protect, and would gravitate toward a father figure. For her, that's Iroh. Those two are definitely close in my opinion. I think that she would have also considered living with people in the Gaang, but there was something a little wrong with all of them.

Her first choice would have been Katara, as she is quite the mother figure to her. But Katara was going back to the South Pole, and Toph would hate it there. It's ice, so she couldn't bend and couldn't see, and it's ridiculously cold. Her second choice would have been Zuko, and I think she seriously considered that, but she was a teensy bit homesick and wanted to live in the Earth Kingdom. Living on Kyoshi Island was just a passing thought, because who really wants to live with those two when they're like _that_? So, living in Ba Sing Se's upper ring near Iroh it was. And like Toph said: it wasn't like she didn't have the money.

I also wanted to explore what would happen when Sokka and Suki got married. Suki would never have lived in the Southern Water Tribe, she's definitely a Kyoshi girl through and through. Besides the weather problem, she's the head warrior and she can't just leave her girls like that. Or she can, but never would.

And I got the feeling that the Northern Water Tribe was a lot more sexist and outdated than the Southern, so Katara _could_ become chief unlike Yue who had to get married and have her husband lead. But the Southern Water Tribe is still pretty darn sexist, so even though a woman could lead she would have to be backed up by a man. Even if it wasn't a custom, I'm sure nobody would take her seriously without a guy backing her up.

And those 'young men' she was thinking about? They're in their twenties. All the youngest ones died in the war. You saw how little Sokka was when Hakoda went to war, he wanted to go and fight, too. He had no idea what was out there. I think boys only a little older than Sokka went, and the only reason Sokka stayed was because he had to lead if anything happened to his father. But anyway, the other young guys got killed because they didn't know squat about the real world and thought war was _cool_. They were all gunho for fighting and whatever, and one by one they all died no matter how much the older men tried to keep them out of the fight.

And all the youngest guys left are all suffering from something called "enormous git complex". It's something that I'm sure Ronald Weasley gets after the war. It's when you fought in a war, your side one and now you're a hero. Except for these guys really aren't heroes, and they tell pretentious stories and are sexist pigs. Don't worry; they'll grow out of it eventually. Most of them, at least.

And then Zuko comes! And he's all 'let's not talk about the confusing stuff about us right now, I planned that for tomorrow'. But Katara doesn't know he planned that for tomorrow, so when he tries to put it off again she's all 'Nuh-uh, let's settle this shit!'. And so they do.

Man, I love writing them argue. They're both such great arguers when they're together. I think it's the chemistry ;)

But yeah, a Fire Lord without a Fire Lady is no Fire Lord at all. Literally. It just seems like something the Fire Nation would do. It's a little backwards, you know? And I thought it was great symmetry between the two cultures, and that it was funny that they were both facing the same problem. Of course Zuko's problem of marriage is much nearer than Katara's. (I'd like to point out that Katara is 15 at this point.)

Oh…the proposal. Zuko is an awkward guy when it comes to girls, especially when it comes to Katara. It may not seem like it sometimes, but inwardly I always think he's going:

_Oh Agni, was that the right thing to say? Just smirk it off, just smirk it off. _

But he's so dang nervous with proposing to Katara that he can't just smirk it off anymore! So he starts chomping down on his lip. Then he places her hand on his heart, which kind of goes back to Chapter 1 when he did almost the same thing. Of course, back then he didn't know that he loved her. This time, instead of showing her that fire is life, he's showing her how damn nervous he is about this.

And he does that little speech before he pops the question because he thinks the proposal sucks because they just argued, and Katara was saying how she _didn't_ want to get married to him. But he's forgotten that it's like the most romantic thing he's ever done because it's the middle of a warm night, the full moon is big and beautiful in the sky, the stars are twinkling down on them, and they can hear the wash of the waves. Jesus, he really could not have picked a better moment to propose.

Katara cries, Zuko cries, Jesus: _I_ nearly cried. Zuko is euphoric, Katara is astounded, and they share this perfect moment together before he ties her new betrothal necklace around her neck.

And at the end of the chapter they profess they're love again. It mirrors the end of Chapter 5, and shows how they've kind of come full circle since then.

Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! I worked so hard on this chapter and it is by far my favorite, and I hope you love it as much as I do and are satisfied with Zuko's proposal.


	19. Chapter 19

"So...what do we do now?" Zuko asked, rubbing the back of his neck. What did people do after getting engaged?

"Let's go swimming!" Katara exclaimed, and started to climb down from the roof.

"Katara, wait!" Zuko said frantically. Zuko hated the ocean. Of course he knew how to swim and could hold he breath for four minutes but he really didn't enjoy it.

Katara popped back up and smirked at him, "What? You don't know how to swim?" She laughed.

He felt his face get hot, "No! I just don't like water."

The last time he had swam was in the freezing cold water of the North Pole.

She pouted, "But you like _me_..."

Zuko crossed his arms, he was adamant on not going swimming. "That may work with Aang, but not with me."

"I wouldn't even need to use it with Aang," Katara shot back. She dropped to the floor and waited.

"Oh, fine," Zuko grumbled. He jumped down. "And stop talking about Aang."

"Of course," Katara smiled, and walked a bit closer to him. Zuko wrapped his arm around her waist, and reveled in the feeling.

Katara was _his_ now, and he was hers. They would be married and would spend the rest of their lives together.

Zuko was positively euphoric.

**xoxo**

"Toph! have you seen Katara?" Aang yelled from a couple of feet over. He made his way toward her, pushing through the people to hear her answer.

"She ran out after you guys fought. And no, I have _seen _her," Toph huffed, and blew her bangs up.

"You know what I mean!" Aang said, frantically looking around the tent to see if she had come back in.

"Look, Twinkletoes. Katara obviously wants to be alone right now, and the last person she would want to see is you. So cool your bits, and enjoy one of your best friend's party. Because Sokka and Suki just got _married_, remember?" Toph reminded him.

"But Sokka is Katara's brother! She should be here more than me! So I'll go and get her and tell her that I'll leave the reception so she can enjoy it," Aang said, and promptly walked off.

"Well ok," Toph grumbled to herself. She searched for Zuko, with no luck. Instead Toph bumped into Iroh.

"You seen Zuko?" Toph asked. Itwas hard for her to find someone in a small crowd, in a crowd as large as this it was impossible.

"Not for a while, but I would guess that he went after Lady Katara," Toph could just hear the knowing in his voice.

"So you know, then?" Toph asked.

Iroh immediately knew what she was talking about, "Yes, yes of course. He told me when you all visited my tea shop after the coronation."

"I was too busy listing to Katara freaking out in her bedroom to notice. You gave her a heart attack. You gotta be careful about sneaking up on people like that," Toph joked, and she punches him on the arm and grinned, and Iroh laughed.

"I guess I better go warn those two before they get themselves into more trouble."

"Good idea, Mai epecially should not find out from anyone but my nephew. I do not know what she would do to the person who told her, but it would not be good."

This gave Toph a bit more incentive to find them. If Aang told Mai she would probably slice all of his skin off or something horrible like that. She would definitely be angry enough to do it, Avatar or not.

**XOXO**

Katara wrapped her legs around Zuko's waist and draped her arms around his neck. Zuko kept her steady by placing his hands on her back. Zuko was a couple of inches from being shoulder deep in the water.

Their lips met again, softer than the dozens of others of times they had kissed in that ocean. Zuko feathered kisses across her jawline and down her neck, but couldn't get much farther because of how deep in the water they were.

He lifted his lips to Katara's ear, "If this is swimming, then we should do it more often."

She kissed him again before answering him, "I agree."

"Zuko! Katara!" Toph whispered as loud as she could. They both jumped and untangled themselves. Zuko grabbed his waterbender's hand - his! - and led them back to the beach where Toph was standing.

"What is it, Toph?" Katara asked.

"Aang is looking for you, Katara. It's a little shocking he hasn't found you yet, because he's got his glider and you're in the ocean!" she exclaimed. The couple quickly got out of the water and started drying off. But Toph wasn't done, "And you!" she pointed a finger accusingly at Zuko, "You left Mai in there to cheat on her! I don't care if you don't love her, she deserves the truth! And so does Aang, _Katara_," Toph shot a look at her, even though she couldn't see her, Katara felt like she could.

Katara felt guilty, because Toph was right. Whenever she and Zuko were together she was cheating on Aang, and he deserved better than that. So did Zuko.

"She's right, Zuko. We should go tell them," Katara said.

"We don't want to ruin the party for them..." Zuko said, giving a weak reason to put it off.

"We don't want to ruin the part for them..." Zuko said, giving a weak reason to put it off.

"Mai doesn't want to be there and Aang, when he finds you, Katara, is going to tell you to go to the party because he'll go. He wants you to be there because Sokka's your brother. So Aang won't be going back to the party, anyway," Toph said.

"Together?" Katara asked.

"No, Mai will want to kill you," Zuko said.

"I can handle myself!" she exclaimed. "I'm a Master waterbender, remember?"

"I don't want you two fighting!" Zuko said, still a little tense. He kissed her cheek and turned immediately.

Toph was laughing.

"What?" Katara snapped.

"You guys fight about _everything!_" Toph exclaimed, doubling over in hilarity.


	20. Chapter 20

Ok, first off thank you so so much to all of the wonderful reviewers. I love you all so much! And some extra love goes to ExcessiveDiversions for the amazing long review that made me squeal with glee. Thank you so much for the compliments on the awkward Zuko moments! That's what really makes a Zutara fic, in my opinion.

And next I'm really sorry for the disappointment that this chapter is sure to bring because it's ridiculously short. But I really wanted to get something up for you guys because I'm knee deep in research right now, and also I think that where I ended it just felt right. So definitely expect a longer chapter sometime next weekend!

And now, enjoy!

* * *

><p><em>Master waterbender, hah! As if I'd let those two fight, somebody would get <em>killed_!_

Why did people not understand the concept of Mai being one of his best friends? Sure, she wasn't any fun when they dated, but some people just weren't meant to be together like that.

Not that telling Mai was going to go well. In fact, he was pretty sure that she wouldn't speak to him for a very long time.

He sighed, and walked into the tent, only to find Mai sitting just to the right of the entrance.

"Mai, may I walk you back to your room?" Zuko asked, offering her his arm. Mai stood and took it without speaking.

"Where were you?" she asked, not sounding very interested for the answer. Oh, if only she knew how interesting the answer really was.

"I was on the beach, thinking," he said. It wasn't a lie, he _was _thinking. His thoughts about Katara that would probably get him killed by multiple people…but still, thoughts nonetheless.

"And," she prompted him. Why had he found her gravelly voice attractive once upon a time? There was no excitement in it, no life.

Zuko tried not to think about what he was about to do, "And I don't think we're right for each other." Mai stopped walking, slipped her arm from around his, and turned to face him. She was glaring at him. Getting Mai to show emotion was _never_ good.

Maybe he had said that too calmly.

* * *

><p>"I think I'll just wait for him here. Thanks for telling us, Toph. I know it must be hard for you, seeing Aang hurt. You really do like him, don't you?" Katara asked.<p>

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going back to the party. Don't say anything too stupid," Toph said, and stomped off to the tent.

Katara sat on the beach to wait for Aang to find her. While she waited she tried to think of how to tell Aang.

Katara ran her fingers over the smooth, glossy stone of her betrothal necklace. She had left it on her pile of clothes to go swimming, since she didn't want the black silk to get wet and be ruined. Should she put it on or not?

Katara didn't want to be ashamed of being engaged to Zuko, but she also didn't want Aang to make a tornado or something crazy like that. At that thought she decided to slip the necklace into an inner pocket until after they had finished talking.

As soon as she placed the necklace in her pocket, Aang yelled her name from the sky. She breathed a sigh of relief. She definitely owed Toph.

Aang landed beside her and sat down.

"What's wrong, Katara? Is it the fight we had? Because I'm really sorry," Aang said, his big gray eyes on her. Katara took a steadying breath and looked into them.

Katara felt her eyes glistening with tears. Aang really was a fantastic guy, and an amazing friend. It was too bad they couldn't make it work, because once upon a time she _had_ loved him. It had been so easy back then. There wasn't any pretending, and it was simple as breathing.

But now there was _Zuko_. And he was passionate in everything he did, and when he did love someone it was with his whole heart. In a way, Zuko's love was purer than Aang's. Aang tried to love everyone, because of the teachings of the monks. Aang's was an all encompassing love. Zuko reserved himself, he didn't blindly trust, and love didn't come easily for him. And yet, he loved her so much that he would risk his whole nation's disapproval by marrying her. Being with Zuko would be hard, she'd have to learn so much, and she would have to become Fire Lady. She would be completely separated from her family.

And yet, a feeling rose in Katara that told her this was what she really needed. She was not a homemaker, she was not a chief of a small village, she was not supposed to marry the Avatar or a jerk from the Water Tribe. She was supposed to become something greater, have an adventure, be loved by Zuko, and help lead the nation she had once hated more than anything. She would stand by Zuko's side no matter what, and help him rebuild the country that his father and grandfather and great grandfather before him twisted and broke. Katara would become something great of her own accord, people would no longer see her as 'the Avatar's girl', and they wouldn't see her as some little waterbender to be trifled with, they would see her as a magnificent figure of restoration, hope, and peace.

And if she were to be honest with herself, that was what she _really_ wanted out of her life.

So she dived into one of the hardest conversations of her life head on.

"Aang, I love you. I always will, but not in the way that you want me to," Katara looked him in the eye while she said this.

His hand went slack, and she slipped her hand out of his loosened grasp on her. Katara looked over to see him in shock. Mouth lawling open and eyes bugging out.

Maybe she'd said that too calmly.


	21. Chapter 21

"I should have known," Mai spat, "You were on the beach with that Water Tribe _peasant_."

Zuko floundered; this wasn't how it was supposed to go! She wasn't supposed to know about Katara! His mouth opened and closed a few times, not really noticing it.

"I'm not stupid, Zuko. I've seen the way to look at her, and you talk in you sleep," Mai rasped.

"I do?" Zuko squeaked. He intentionally berated himself at this. Not only was that question like a submission, but he had _squeaked_. In all his years, there was only one other time he'd been so mortified.

"Yes. I had _hoped_ it was just nightmares, but I don't have the luck for that. So _next time_ you cheat on a woman, don't sleep with her!" she yelled. Zuko was completely blown away. He shook with the force that she spoke with. "Next time, _dear_ Fire Lord Zuko, do the _honorable_ thing," she hissed, gaining her composure, and walking away in her well perfected aristocratic fashion.

"Remove your things from the palace immediately! He shouted, trying to gain control of the situation unsuccessfully.

Mai calmly turned and from ten feet away she said, "I'd rather share a cell with your father than stay in that place." Her voice was back to gravelly and uncaring, bored even. It cut Zuko that she sounded like she didn't care, when she had gone with him to lend him moral support to talk with his father.

As soon as Mai had melted into the darkness hot tears pricked his eyes. Zuko raged at this, _hated_ that Mai could make him feel like this with one bored sentence. He hurried to the edge of the forest, as fast as his many robes would allow. As soon as he hit the tree line he disrobed. He tore out the crown and his hair fell over his face.

All that he had on was a pair of cut off pants that Zuko wore everywhere these days in case he wanted – or _needed – _to bend.

Zuko reveled in the feel of the dirt in between his toes, and the freedom of the forest at night.

Then he ran. He ran as fast as he could, letting his legs carry him as far as they could go. He felt the muscles move and burn when he had run too far, but not far enough. He ran until he came into a clearing.

He stopped, not long enough to catch his breath, and started bending. He cleared his mind and just focused on the energy glowing through his arms and feet, and the flames coming out. He bent until he exhausted himself, and Zuko finally collapsed onto the forest floor.

He couldn't keep the thoughts away anymore. Mai bringing up his father in that way…that she was that angry. He felt terrible. And she was right, after being obsessed with gaining his honor back for _years_; he'd lost it by allowing Mai to become his "back up" plan.

What would his mother think? Surely, if she was back at the palace, she would have told him to make a choice instead of stringing Mai along. Bit what would she way now? Now that he was engaged to Katara and broken up with Mai?

He imagined it…

_"Oh, Zuko! I'm so happy for you. Katara is a beautiful, wonderful girl, you're very lucky. But what about Mai, dear? You should go apologize," his mother looked at him with those soft and knowing eyes._

_ "I tried, Mom, but she wouldn't listen!" he exclaimed, frustrated._

_ "Zuko, she's a smart girl. I think she knows you didn't mean it," Ursa said._

_ "So what am I supposed to do?" Zuko asked._

_ "Mean what you say. Mai deserves a heartfelt apology; she's one of your best friends."_

Zuko sighed. Of course, he had no idea what his mother would really say because he hadn't spoken to her in so many years, and he had never in his life spoken to her about a girl.

He'd thought a lot about his mother in the past year. Every time he was in his study and somebody knocked on the door Zuko expected it to be her. Coming home to her son after Ozai had been locked up. But it had never been her.

Zuko had waited a year for Ursa to return while he had slowly been building a new foundation for the Fire Nation. Whenever he asked his Uncle if he knew where she was he got sad and told him that at the time his mother left he wasn't fit to talk to anyone. Ozai was a dead end, and honestly would have been of more use to him dead. Zuko had tried to ask him every day where his mother was, with only mad cackling and taunts.

Once Zuko even resorted to trying to think of what Azula would do. Torture was the obvious choice, but Zuko didn't ever think he could resort to that.

All around him were dead ends, so when he visited Azula next, he asked her. Her doctors had said it was a bad idea to ask her about Mother. They said that nearly all of her episodes involved her mother. But Zuko had asked her anyway. After all, she had seemed to know everything going on in the palace when they were kids, and he was sure that included where their mother went.

It hadn't gone well, though. Azula, there one minute, was gone the next. As soon as he mentioned their mother her eyes went vacant. She started talking to someone who wasn't there. Her doctors had escorted him out and one of them mentioned that this particular hallucination wasn't nearly as violent as her hallucinations typically were. Another commented that it was only because they had removed everything breakable.

"Why have you only now removed everything breakable?" Zuko had growled.

"W-we w-wanted her to feel c-comfortable here, m-my Lord," one of the doctors had stuttered, bowing his head respectfully.

"Will she ever return to normal?" he had snapped.

Another of the doctors stepped up to answer, keeping his head bowed just as the other had. "We believe so, my Lord, but it will take time."

"How _much_ time," he'd ordered.

"We don't know, my Lord."

"Then what are you still doing here? Go help my sister!" Zuko had boomed.

They'd all scuttled off to her room immediately.

Even thinking about it Zuko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose

After Katara had told him that she hadn't meant what she said before the Agni Kai, Zuko felt the need to get up and do something to distract himself from the pain in his chest. He'd found himself back in the main plaza in front of the palace, and he saw Azula chained to a sewer grate. She was lying on her back, legs tucked under her in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. She looked to be sleeping, but as soon as he had realized that she wasn't, it was too late. In the blink of an eye she was on her knees, cackling.

"Oh, _mother_. You brought Zuzu, how sweet. Zuzu's little Water Tribe whore chained me here. She tricked me! I've lost my touch. Will you unchain me, Mother?" Azula hissed, not looking at him. She was looking at their mother that she saw to his left. Azula had screamed in frustration. "But I didn't _mean_ to hit him!" Tears rolled down her cheek," I meant to hit _her_." Azula's glare landed on someone else, and that time Zuko followed it, only to see Katara standing in the front archway of the palace. As soon as Katara had noticed him looking she went back into the palace.

Zuko hadn't known what to do with her. He ended up sitting down with his back against a pillar a good safe distance away from his sister. He'd sat there, listening to her talk to their mother, and scathingly call him _Zuzu_. He was ashamed that while sitting there he closed his eyes and imagined his mother _was _there. Zuko had wanted to tell Azula to "stop talking to Mother like that." And he nearly had.

That's when Zuko had stopped pretending, and stood up. Before he walked back into the palace, he'd said to her, "'Zula, she isn't there." He'd walked into the palace – _his palace_ – to a cacophony of _yes she is, don't you see her? _ and _she's right there!_'s

Zuko hated that memory. He and Azula, brother and sister, sitting far apart just in case she decided to breathe fire. Ozai had scarred him and banished him, but because of that he'd been spared being taught to be _just like him_. Azula had been molded into something she wasn't supposed to be, and their so called '_father_' had made his sister crazy.

No wonder she liked to imagine Mother, that's certainly what Zuko would be doing if he'd had to live with his father for the last three years.

But Azula didn't see her as often, and so before he had left for the wedding he had visited a few times. She was still angry at him for millions of reasons, some of them irrational and some not, but she didn't just yell at him anymore. Azula preferred to glare at him and overuse sarcasm now, but there was no more yelling and Zuko no longer stormed out.

The last time he'd visited her was when he'd gotten Katara's betrothal necklace from the carver. She had laughed and told him that he'd been seduced by a water peasant. But she'd also ordered him to hand the necklace so she could examine it. Azula rolled it over and took a good long look at it.

"Very high quality carving, who did it?" she had asked.

"Meng."

"Good choice. The fire opal, you said you found it yourself. Where?"

"I found it down in the tunnels."

"What were you doing down there?"

"Why do you care?"

"Last time you were down there you and Dad were having a nice talk."

"I was thinking!" he had exclaimed.

"I thought you hated him," she lounged on her ridiculously large bed.

"I do, and so should you."

"Torturing yourself? That's a new low, Zuzu, even for you."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that."

"I wish you wouldn't visit."

Zuko had sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "You don't mean that."

"I do," she had thrusted the necklace back to him, "Now get out," she ordered. He obeyed, but told her that he would visit again in a few weeks.

Azula had gotten much better since he'd started visiting more often, or so the doctors said. Azula had been niggling the back of his mind all trip, and he was worried about her.

Zuko's reverie was interrupted by Aang's voice. Zuko jumped up to face him.

"Agni Kai, right now," he said. In the dark his yes looked black. The Avatar's fists clenched and flames licked his knuckles.

"I decline," Zuko said, keeping his voice carefully level. Katara must have told him.

"I was hoping you would say that," Aang said, but it didn't sound like him. His voice was older, full of pain. "No rules is fine with me, I prefer to use all bendings."

And so history was about to repeat itself.


	22. Chapter 22

This chapter goes back in time! Back to Katara telling Aang about her recent engagement. Some of you may have forgotten about that, and won't like it because there isn't any Zuko/Aang fighting this chapter. But don't worry, this chapter is short (I guess some of you may not like that bit - SORRY!) and next chapter we will FINALLY have the fight! I wrote this chapter AGES ago, and I just figured out that I hadn't uploaded it yet! Silly me.

So this fic will have at least another five chapters to it, but I think next chapter is the beginning of the end. I've been writing this for so long I can't imagine not finding time to write it! But no worries, I have some vague ideas of a new Zutara fic for all you lovely readers! Westen Air Temple Zutara, anyone? ;D

* * *

><p>Moments later Aang was on his feet.<p>

"Why, Katara? Why do you keep doing this to me?" If Aang had hair, Katara was sure he would be pulling it out right now.

"I'm so sorry," Katara's voice broke, she hated seeing him like this.

"No you're not, or you wouldn't have done this to me again!" Aang yelled. Katara instinctually backed into the water, just far enough so the waves were lapping at her heels.

"I am, Aang. We just weren't meant to be, and I am _really sorry_," Katara said, her voice thick with tears.

"It's Zuko again, isn't it?" Aang asked angrily. His voice wasn't his own anymore, it frightened her.

Katara wouldn't, it would make it worse later. "Yes," she gulped.

"You can't have a life with him, Katara. You have to become Chief," he tried to reason with her.

Katara gasped, she hadn't told him that! He must have talked to her father sometime tonight!

"If you know that then surely you know that if I were to become chief I would marry you," Katara said.

"So he said. He also decided to make an exception!" Aang yelled. He gained control of himself once more, and pulled out something from his pant pocket.

Oh no, oh no, La, no! It couldn't be, this couldn't happen to a person, right?

Wrong.

There it was, a blue stone hanging on a leather strap, carved onto it was a crude air symbol. He'd carved it himself. She unconsciously took a step back into the water as Aang advanced, and the betrothal necklace she'd already accepted hung heavier – reminding her that she'd already made her choice.

"Katara, I want to marry you. I know we're young, though, so I want to wait for a good couple of years. But eventually I want to be married, and be as happy as Sokka and Suki are. Will you make me the happiest person in the world, and agree to marry me someday, Katara?" Aang was now mere foot away and was holding out the necklace, as if it were an offering.

This couldn't be happening. Katara would rather have a tornado right now.

Aang was persistent, she knew that from experience, and wouldn't stop unless she showed him her betrothal necklace from Zuko.

"Aang…I can't. I've already told you that I don't love you like a wife loves her husband," Katara said.

"What the real reason, Katara?" Aang asked. Katara shivered, his eyes were getting darker as she watched. And she knew it was because of her. Had she really lied so much to him that he'd learned to detect her lies?

Katara gathered her courage and pulled out the gorgeous necklace that this was the turning point in her life. It would be a new beginning. She closed her eyes for what seemed to Aang to be a simple blink. To Katara, when she opened her eyes the world had shifted into place.

Katara tied the necklace around her neck. It gave her courage.

"Because I'm engaged to Zuko," Katara said her voice level and strong.

"You still think he's the 'powerful bender' that you're supposed to be with? Let's test that!" Aang shouted. In the blink of an eye, he was flying on his glider, to no doubt find Zuko.

Katara sprinted after him, but fell behind fast. Aang flew towards the woods, so that's where she ran. She stopped after a few minutes of running through the trees, and listened.

Far to her right she heard the sound of fire blasts.


	23. Chapter 23

"Stop, Aang, you don't want to do this," Zuko said, slowly backing up but keeping his hands out in front of him, as if to ward the Avatar off. Nevertheless, he kept forward.

"Tell me, Zuko, do you consider yourself a powerful bender?" Aang asked.

What was this kid talking about? Zuko had thought he was here to fight over Katara – a ridiculous notion, Katara would most like berate him about it for at least a year – not talk about who was the better bender of the two.

"I couldn't say," Zuko finally answered.

"And why not?" Aang growled. Woah, this was intense for him to do _that_.

"I would be biased. You can't fairly judge your own bending, it would be pointless," Zuko said slowly, as if explaining to a child.

"Would you like _me_ to judge your bending?" Aang asked darkly.

"I don't allow people to do that anymore," Zuko growled.

"So you're finally grown up? What a relief, it took you long enough," Aang taunted.

Zuko took deep breaths trying to control his anger at the monk. Aang was just trying to goad him into making the first move so he could justify the fight. He couldn't let it get to him.

"I mean, after being so misguided for _three years_? Talk about some serious daddy issues. You've called him '_the father lord!'_" A mockery of his real laugh fell from his lips. Still, Zuko resists the desire to release the fire flowing freely through his veins now.

"And you mother is dead. Killed by your own _fatherlord_," Aang said scathingly, and Zuko couldn't take it any longer.

"You – do – not – know – my – _family_!" he shouted, punching fireblasts at Aang to punctuate each word.

The tattooed boy didn't reply, he had gotten what he wanted. He took on an earthbending stance, and Zuko took a firebending one.

History was repeating itself, and Zuko knew that it was a bad omen. If anybody ever found out about this it would be written down by a historian who would surely think it had been silly to get so worked up over a girl. When really Aang had wanted a fight to show his strength and had teased him about his childhood, banishment, and his family. What had happened to the monk's teachings? Forgive and forget?

But there was no time to wonder about what had come over the peaceful Avatar, because a giant boulder was flying toward him.

Zuko sliced it in half with a fire whip.

Aang was unusually aggressive with his bending, not using airbending but fire and earth. Zuko, however, evaded the attacks using his bending to blast himself out of the way. It was like their roles were reversed and somehow Zuko was playing the peaceful Avatar, and Aang was playing the quick tempered Fire Lord.

But Agni, Zuko _wished_ he could blast some sense into the monk. He _wished_ that he could burn him for what he said about his mother, for the taunts about his terrible father and banishment. But Katara would never forgive him if he hurt Aang.

Hopefully she wouldn't forgive Aang if he hurt Zuko, but he wasn't sure. And besides, he wasn't sure if he wanted Katara to hate Aang. Aang was the first to accept him, and before all this they'd had a good friendship.

Zuko blasted himself around, avoiding advance after advance made by Aang. Occasionally he would have to slice a boulder or three, and all the while he hoped that Aang wouldn't get so angry that he went into the Avatar State. Zuko could handle a lot, but the Avatar State was _way_ more than a lot. He'd heard the screams, shouts, the sea crashing when Aang had channeled the ocean spirit at the North Pole. He knew about the hundreds of lives that had been taken, hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers that hadn't wanted to fight but were drafted anyway. With less and less soldiers is coming back from the war because of his crazy dad's plans. Nobody really wanted to _die_ for their country. Fight, maybe, but not to the point of death.

Whether the fight went on for minutes or hours, Zuko wasn't sure. It didn't matter; it pained him all the same. Zuko didn't like fighting Aang – though he once had, to make no mistake.

Of course, back when Zuko enjoyed fighting Aang the monk hadn't been a fully realized Avatar with the full force of very real heartbreak backing him up, with no Katara to hold him back.

Just as Zuko made the decision to fight back – or else they'd be here together – he heard his beloved shouting. He silently thanked Agni that she showed up just in time, so he still looked like the good guy in this mess.

_Because I am the good guy_, he reminded himself.

"_What are you two DOING_!" Katara yelled. She marched out of the forest, hair escaping from her elaborate bun and blue eyes wild with outrage.

"It's not what it looks like, Katara," Aang said softly, his attacks immediately yielding as soon as he heard Katara's voice.

Katara clenched her fists at her sides and glared at them both in turn, each look equally venomous. "I think it's _exactly_ what it looks like."

"What _does_ it look like?" Zuko asked, half afraid of the answer and half hopeful.

"It certainly _looks_ like the two of you are fighting over me," Katara said with a sarcastic edge. "Am I wrong?"

"Yes!" Zuko exclaimed immediately, while Aang thought over his answer more carefully. It was really better to be cautious in what you said to Katara, but Zuko never followed that advice. Why start now?

"Uh huh, and can you explain what it was that you _were_ doing?" Katara's hands were on her hips now, and he was suddenly reminded of the time in the Western Air Temple that she had threatened his life if he hurt Aang. Thank Agni he hadn't hurt Aang, because as of right now he wasn't sure if that threat still stood or not.

Aang decided that now was the right moment to speak, and Zuko fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"We were just sparring, Katara," Aang 'explained' calmly, with a bright smile to convince and disarm.

"Bullshit!" Zuko shouted, unable to contain himself. Of course, he was just digging his rave faster by swearing like that.

"Zuko!" Katara reprimanded, proving him right.

"Aang came running and challenged me to an Agni Kai! _He _challenged _me_!"

"And you accepted? I know the rules of Agni Kai, you _can_ decline! And don't go spouting about your _honor_ or – " Aang cut her off.

"Zuko's right," Aang said in a small voice. He looked guilty, like the time he had stolen the map to Hakoda on the way to the North Pole. "I did challenge him to an Agni Kai, and he _did_ decline. But then I…I said some really mean things. You two have nothing to fight over, I'm the one who messed up."

For a bit all three stood there in a guilty silence. For some unfathomable reason, Zuko had the urge to make a joke.

"I'm sure Katara and I will always have something to fight over," Zuko said with a smirk.

_When in doubt, smirk it out._

Laughter bubbled up to break the tension. For some reason what Zuko said contrasted so much with the argument before it was _hilarious_.

Clutching his stomach, Aang choked out, "Zuko! Didn't know – you could joke!" With that the hilarity doubled, because every other time Zuko attempted a joke he skipped an important line or mess up the punchline. But he'd finally succeeded at the most _inappropriate_ time.

Once the laugher died out a few minutes later Aang spoke again, solemn now.

"I'm sorry. To both of you. I was wrong to get mad, Katara. It was wrong of me to come here to fight Zuko so I could win you like a prize. You are so much more than that. And Zuko, I'm sorry I said those things. First and foremost you two should be my friends, not my girlfriend and especially not my rival." Aang bowed his head and didn't look back up.

"I forgive you Aang. I'm sorry, too. I should have been honest with myself _and_ you earlier," Katara apologized. She hugged the monk fiercely, almost crying at how everything had nearly been erreversibly screwed up. When Zuko didn't say anything Katara stepped away from Aang and glared at Zuko.

"I forgive you, Avatar. And I apologize for acting so dishonorably, it wasn't fair to you." Zuko pressed his fist into his palm and gave a slight bow. Aang returned the formality.

Katara and Zuko were now standing shoulder to shoulder. They drew strength from the slight touch of their arms. Katara had the ridiculous urge to slap the back of Zuko's head for being so formal to a boy who was supposed to be his friend. But she controlled the desire and instead asked herself why he was so formal. What had Aang said to him to get him to fight back? Zuko was hotheaded, she new, but he also had a ridiculous amount of self control. (An odd combination now that she thought about it. It made him kind of smolder instead of blow up.) To break that self-control would be an impressive feat.

Must've been about his mother.

His mother was a real sore spot for him. Mentioning her always made him emotional, whether it was sad or angry.

Sad and angry were way too mild of words to be used in describing how Zuko felt about his mother.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Aang's words.

"I think it's best if I left early. I know we were planning on staying a few days to catch up, but I think I need some time alone right now," Aang said in his "Avatar" voice. The one where he had made up his mind and he was telling it how it was.

"We understand, Aang. Make sure to wish Sokka and Suki well before you go. You probably won't see them tomorrow," Katara laughed, then grimaced as an unwanted mental image of Suki and Sokka doing _things_. Ugh, gross!

"I will. Bye Katara, bye Zuko. I'll send you a messenger hawk before I come to visit," Aang said, and suddenly it became awkward. "Uh, where will you be living, Katara?"

Katara flushed and look over to Zuko, having no idea of what to say and not wanting to assume things.

"The hawks are very intelligent, they'll be able to find her," Zuko supplied. All three knew that Aang wasn't concerned abou the messenger hawk finding Katara, but wanted to know how soon she and Zuko would be married.

Aang couldn't say anything to that, unless he wanted to just ask them straight out. He didn't. "I'll see you guys later," Aang said, and instead of walking bacfk through the forest with them he snapped his glider open and flew back in the direction of the reception tent.

The newly engaged couple were silent for a bit, taking time to mull over all that had happened that day. Katara broke the silence first.

"I can't believe that a few hours ago Suki was asking why I wasn't with you instead of Aang," she said wonderingly. She felt light, like she could float off into the night sky at any moment. She was dizzy, too, but the good kind of dizzy where you could just laugh and fall down happily.

"Suki knows?" Zuko asked, honestly not that surprised. He figured that she would want to talk to someone close to her own age about the utterly confusing relationship Zuko and Katara had. Besides, he'd told Toph, hadn't he?

"Yeah. And you know what else?" she asked excitedly. Katara didn't want for him to respond, "Toph likes Aang!" She squealed the news – that _wasn't_ news to him – and he laughed because the sound of Katara squealing wasn't a sound often heard.

"You think everybody in our little group will end up with another in the group?" Zuko asked.

"Sokka and Suki are already married, you and I are engaged, and Toph likes Aang. I think those two would be good for each other, they balance each other out almost perfectly. Earth and air are opposites, you know," Katara's eyes sparkled with happiness, and Zuko's burned with pure adoration of the waterbender.

"Just like fire and water," he said, reaching for her hand.

Katara caught it and entangled her fingers with his, "Just like fire and water."

_fin_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Don't bite my head off! There will be a sequel!

I felt like this part of Katara and Zuko's journey was over. They're over the part where they find out they have feelings for each other, and have admitted it, gotten engaged, and tied up some loose ends with Aang with a big three-way apology.

This story has veered so off course from my original plan, it's crazy! The original one was SUPAH angsty ;D I'm sure I still have it on my computer somewhere…

Anyway! The next part of Zuko and Katara's story will be out soon! The title (as of right now) will be _Strong Wills and Synced Hearts_. Strong wills because there are some governing issues (actually a _lot_ of governing issues) to address as well as some touchy topics for both Zuko and Katara.

We'll find some closure about what happened with Zuko's mom, Azula will play a much bigger part, Zuko will sneak off in the middle of the night to talk to Ozai (which is worrying Katara!), Katara getting some insight into what she will be facing by becoming Fire Lady, and Zuko giving some serious consideration on what to give Hakoda for the engagement to his daughter. _(__"Same thing, promised to be married. In the Fire Nation you don't give the woman anything, you present her father with gifts. If he accepts them then the engagement is accepted. If he doesn't then the man must never speak to her again," Zuko explained._ – Chapter 14)

I would like to thank you all for all the love that you've given me and this story. I never thought that people would actually like my story and take the time to review, but you have and that is just really amazing. I can't believe that these 23 chapters took almost an exact year to write, and I just hope the next 23 chapters will take a little bit shorter to write!

So, I hope to see you all in about a week with the sequel to _Time Changes_.

P.S. My favorite line in this story is Zuko's: _When in doubt, smirk it out. _What's yours? I'd love to hear it :)

P.P.S. That's Draco Malfoy's motto, too.


	24. Calling All Betas!

Hello again! This is not a new chapter, so sorry about falsely leading you here if you were under that impression.

It's been nearly two years since I have posted the last chapter of this fic, and now I would like to come back to it. I'm planning to re-release _Time Changes_ both on and AO3. To do that, I'm going to need some help!

Ultimately, this means: I need a beta. And that's where you all come in!

If you are interested, please PM me, and I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can.

However, there is some criteria. Please make sure that you have read and understood the criteria I'm looking for before you contact me.

**Criteria:**

- You must be at least 16 years old.

- You must be familiar with Avatar: the Last Airbender.

- You must be willing to provide your email address

If you meet these criteria, please contact me so we can get the ball rolling. I will ask you for your email address and send you an application.

If you have any questions, please PM me instead of commenting. Thank you!


End file.
